MOSTAR, Nov 17 (Hina) - The head of the Independent Media Commission (IMC) department for permit issuance, Dieter Loraine, on Wednesday told reporters in Mostar the IMC had not received Erotel's appeal to a decision banning this
Mostar-based, largest Bosnian Croat television station from further broadcasting. Loraine reiterated that if Erotel failed to stop broadcasting, the IMC could request assistance from NATO's Stabilisation Force in Bosnia. He invited Erotel's leadership to dialogue which would help clear the misunderstandings which arose in the wake of a broadcasting ban the IMC placed on Erotel two days ago. Since the television station has not stopped broadcasting, Loraine said this would be taken in consideration in the issuance of long-term work permits, between two and five years. Loraine said Erotel could still sign a temporary six-month permit, which however would not exempt the st
MOSTAR, Nov 17 (Hina) - The head of the Independent Media Commission
(IMC) department for permit issuance, Dieter Loraine, on Wednesday
told reporters in Mostar the IMC had not received Erotel's appeal to
a decision banning this Mostar-based, largest Bosnian Croat
television station from further broadcasting.
Loraine reiterated that if Erotel failed to stop broadcasting, the
IMC could request assistance from NATO's Stabilisation Force in
Bosnia. He invited Erotel's leadership to dialogue which would help
clear the misunderstandings which arose in the wake of a
broadcasting ban the IMC placed on Erotel two days ago.
Since the television station has not stopped broadcasting, Loraine
said this would be taken in consideration in the issuance of long-
term work permits, between two and five years.
Loraine said Erotel could still sign a temporary six-month permit,
which however would not exempt the station from accountability for
non-compliance with the broadcasting ban decision.
The spokesman for the Regional Office of the High Representative
for Bosnia, Chris Riley, today said that Ivic Pasalic, an adviser to
Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, and Jozo Curic, an editor on
Croatian Television (HTV), had suggested to the international
community to remove all HTV channels from Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Riley said Pasalic had told this to Deputy High Representative
Ralph Johnson, while Curic had told him, Riley, personally. Both
Pasalic and Curic said they were interested in having only Erotel in
Bosnia, he added.
The international community demands that HTV keep broadcasting one
of its channels in Bosnia, and the securing of a legal foundation
for doing so, Riley said. He pointed out the Bosnian Croat political
leadership supported this.
The OHR will not let Pasalic and Curic set up their personal media
empire in Bosnia, Riley said. This would be an obstruction of no use
to Croats in Bosnia, he said, adding these were business and
personal interests of a very small group from Zagreb.
Riley also said international representatives and the Bosnian
Croat political leadership recently openly discussed the necessity
of reorganising Erotel.
(hina) ha