EROTEL AND RTV BIH HAVE RIGHT TO EQUAL ACCESS TO TRANSMITTERS - IMC

( Editorial: --> 0561 ) SARAJEVO, Sept 15 (Hina) - The Independent Media Commission (IMC), a body established in line with a decision by High Representative Carlos Westendorp, has concluded that the Mostar company ERONET can continue broadcasting Croatian Radio Television (HRT) programmes on the territory of Bosnia-Herzegovina. However, the use and maintenance of transmitters have to be agreed on with Radio Television Bosnia-Herzegovina (RTV BiH), IMC deputy director Robert Gillete told reporters in Sarajevo on Tuesday, presenting IMC conclusions on this problem. The transmitters that are currently used by EROTEL must also be used for transmitting programmes other than those of HRT. This means that EROTEL is expected to provide information from different sources, Gillete said. According to him, RTV BiH believes to be the legal owner of 29 transmitters which EROTEL uses for broadcasting HRT programmes. The IMC is aware that the facilities used by EROTEL had been seized by the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) during the war, Gillete said. EROTEL indeed is a company registered in Bosnia-Herzegovina but it is actually partly owned by HRT, which was the reason for several protests directed to the Croatian authorities because HRT favoured the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia-Herzegovina (HDZ BiH) and neglected other parties in the Bosnian pre-election campaign. This was followed by talks between IMC and EROTEL representatives who reached an agreement for EROTEL to broadcast news programmes by other media companies as well. ERONET has chosen news programmes of Open Broadcast Network (OBN), which broadcasts its programmes from Sarajevo, and the agreement has been respected so far, the IMC official said. The IMC conclusions also include an assessment that EROTEL is practically controlled by the Croatian Government and that it threatens the sovereignty of Bosnia-Herzegovina. However, understanding the complex situation regarding official decisions on the territory of the former Herzeg-Bosnia, the IMC has decided to put this issue aside and demand only complete respect for professional media standards. This, among other things, means the right to complete information and the possibility for RTV BiH to broadcast its programmes in Croat-majority areas as well. Considering the complexity of the legal regulation of ownership of radio and television transmitters, the IMC could overtake the management of those facilities until the interested parties reach an agreement, Gillete said. (hina) rml 151535 MET sep 98