ZAGREB/MOSTAR, Nov 17 (Hina) - The President of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ante Jelavic, said Wednesday the decision of the Independent Media Commission (IMC) to ban the Mostar TV station Erotel from broadcasting its
programme was unacceptable. "The decision comes at the wrong time and is certainly a bad message to the Bosnian Croat people", Jelavic said in a phone interview with Croatian Television (HTV) from Istanbul, where he will attend a summit of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on Thursday and Friday. The BH Presidency chairman said that upon being informed about the IMC decision he spoke to the US Ambassador in Bosnia, Thomas Miller, who then contacted High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch and senior IMC officials. "I hope we have agreed that, upon my return to Bosnia-Herzegovina next week, we will discuss the overall reorganisation
ZAGREB/MOSTAR, Nov 17 (Hina) - The President of the Presidency of
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ante Jelavic, said Wednesday the decision of
the Independent Media Commission (IMC) to ban the Mostar TV station
Erotel from broadcasting its programme was unacceptable.
"The decision comes at the wrong time and is certainly a bad message
to the Bosnian Croat people", Jelavic said in a phone interview with
Croatian Television (HTV) from Istanbul, where he will attend a
summit of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) on Thursday and Friday.
The BH Presidency chairman said that upon being informed about the
IMC decision he spoke to the US Ambassador in Bosnia, Thomas Miller,
who then contacted High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch and
senior IMC officials.
"I hope we have agreed that, upon my return to Bosnia-Herzegovina
next week, we will discuss the overall reorganisation of the media,
including the status of 'Erotel'", said Jelavic. "It is certain
that by then there will be no interruption in the broadcasting of
the Croatian TV station 'Erotel'", he added.
In an interview with the Erotel central news broadcast tonight,
Jelavic also said that "the Croat side supports the reorganisation
of the BH media, however, it must be based on principles of equality
between the Croat, Bosniak, and Serb peoples".
The Croat side is ready to join the process establishing the
television of the Croat-Muslim Federation, i.e., its channel in the
Croatian language, Jelavic said.
He believed 'Erotel' should be "given a wider frequency for the
whole of the Federation", so that its programme could be watched by
Croats on the entire Federation territory.
Chris Riley, spokesman for the regional office of the High
Representative said today the Bosnian Croat political leadership,
headed by Jelavic, supported the view of the international
community requesting that one HTV channel continue broadcasting
its programme in Bosnia and that the legal basis for its functioning
be provided.
(hina) rml