MEDIA COMMISSION EXPECTING MOSTAR-BASED TV STATION'S ANSWER

SARAJEVO, Nov 10 (Hina) - The Independent Media Commission (IMC) in Bosnia-Herzegovina refuted claims that a temporary permit for broadcasting to Mostar-based television station Erotel represented an attempt to suppress the station's programme, IMC spokeswoman Zinaida Babovic said on Wednesday. Speaking to Hina over the telephone from Sarajevo, Babovic said the IMC, as the only authorised institution for the issuance of permits for electronic media broadcasting, had not received from Erotel any official note stating its acceptance or refusal of the temporary permit, despite the fact that the deadline expired today. Babovic said that in the granting of permits, Erotel had not been treated differently than other media, because the temporary permits currently issued are based on the state of affairs prior to a moratorium the High Representative for Bosnia introduced in the summer of 1998 on the expansion of the existing transmitter network. At the time, Erotel broadcast via 11 transmitters, for which it has the current permanent permit. In the second phase, when long-term permits covering up to five years will be issued, electronic media will have the possibility to seek a higher number of transmitters. (hina) ha mm