IMC ABIDES BY ITS DECISION ON HRT STATUS IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Feb 24 (Hina) - The Independent Commission for Media (IMC) in Bosnia-Herzegovina did not intend to change its decision on the discontinuation of re-broadcasting of Croatia's Radio and Television (HRT) programme in Bosnia as of the moment when television of Bosnia's Croat-Moslem Federation is to be established, said Dieter Loraine, the IMC public relations office's head in Sarajevo. We are aware of the political campaign conducted in the media in connection with the re-broadcasting of the HRT programme, but we shall not change our decision from last December, Loraine told a news conference on Wednesday. The IMC official said there were a series of reasons for the cessation of the re-airing the HRT programme in Bosnia, but this could not be done overnight. Prior to that, a decent alternative should be established through a programme of the federal TV where media professionals are to be employed, Loraine said. The Office of the High Representative (OHR) had previously set up a deadline on the end of January for ceasing the re-broadcasting of the third channel of Croatia's state-run Television in Bosnia. The re-airing of the HRT second channel should stop by the end of this month. The re-broadcasting of the HRT programmes in Bosnia is disputable from the legal, economic and technical viewpoint, since Croatia's Radio and Television has not purchased international rights for airing foreign programmes in Bosnia, and is using illegally three out of four frequencies in Bosnia, and thwarting the development of a media market in this country, Loraine said in Sarajevo. According to the IMC, the "Erotel" firm which is now re- broadcasting the HRT programme in Bosnia, is an ideal partner for the set-up of the federal television. The IMC held that a draft bill on Bosnia's Federal Radio and Television which is about to be submitted to the Parliament, is a good and acceptable document. We want to solve this problem fairly and expect from other organisations that have the mandate for this to discuss political issues which appear in this context, Loraine said. Programmes of Serbia's Radio and Television (RTS) are also being re-broadcast via relays in the Bosnian Serb entity, but it is not so contentious, from the IMC point of view, as only a part of the RTS programme is re-aired on the grounds of a special contract concluded between television houses in the northern Bosnian town of Banja Luka and the Serbian capital of Belgrade. The issue of re-broadcasting foreign TV programmes in Bosnia is connected with an ongoing procedure of granting licences for the work of the electronic media in Bosnia. Loraine announced on Wednesday that first licences would be issued in the coming five days. According to the IMC figures, at the moment 280 electronic media - 70 television and 210 radio stations - are working in Bosnia. Two months ago, special questionnaires were forwarded to them to define their prerequisites regarding technical matter and human resources for their further work. More than a half of them have so far sent their applications for receiving the work licences. The deadline for submitting applications is on 28 February. Newspapers published in Bosnia-Herzegovina are not covered by this regime of licences, but the IMC has initiated a procedure for adopting journalists' code which should arrange rights and position of reporters working in the press. (hina) jn ms