20. 05. 2010

WORKSHOP FOR ANEM MEMBERS: Implications of the Forthcoming Digitalization for ANEM Local/Regional Stations

On May 20, 2010, ANEM organized and held the workshop for its member stations titled "Implications of the Forthcoming Digitalization for ANEM local/regional stations" in the Belgrade Media Center and with the support of USAID and IREX Serbia. The aim of the workshop was to provide ANEM stations with essential information from the competent speakers about the digitalization process in Serbia, its implications, opportunities as well as obligations imposed by this process. The guests-panelists of the workshop were: representatives of the Public Company "Broadcasting Equipment and Communications", the main role player in the digitalization process as the future network and multiplex operator - Radisa Petrovic, appointed Head of the Broadcasting Equipment Department and Vladimir Homan, Acting Director of the company; representatives of the Ministry for Telecommunications and Information Society - Irini Reljin, PhD, Deputy Minister, Milena Jocic, advisor in the Telecommunications Sector and Biljana Pavlovic, advisor in the Ministry's Sector for European Integration; Jelena Surculija, media law expert and Nikola Linta, Director of Development at B92. The workshop was also attended by the following ANEM guests: Natasa Vuckovic Lesendric, Maja Petrovic and Maja Rakovic from the Ministry of Culture; Katarina Tomic from the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Society; representatives of the regulatory bodies: Goran Karadzic, Deputy Chairman of the RBA and Aleksandra Stankovic, PR of RATEL; Slobodan Kremenjak from the Law office "Zivkovic & Samardzic" and Tomislav Damnjanovic from Marketing and Sales Company "A-media"; The donor society was represented by Sibina Golubovic from USAID, Ivana Bjelic from IREX and Sanja Stankovic from the OSCE Mission to Serbia.

22 participants, coming from 18 ANEM members, radio and TV stations, took part in this workshop: Radio City, Nis; Radio Ozon and TV Cacak from Cacak; Novosadska TV from Novi Sad; Radio Bus from Kovin; TV Alfra from Uzice; RTV Pannon from Subotica; Radio Em from Knjazevac; Radio Far from Alibunar; RTV OK from Kovacica; RTV Kragujevac from Kragujevac; RTV Trstenik from Trstenik; RTV Krusevac from Krusevac; Radio Kikinda from Kikinda; RTV Pancevo from Pancevo; TV Jedinstvo from Novi Pazar; TV Niska from Nis and RTV Mag from Obrenovac.

The workshop consisted of two parts. In the first part of the workshop, two main representatives of the Public Company "Broadcasting Equipment and Communications" explained the role of this company in the Serbian digital era. After their presentation, representatives of the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Society provided information on the process of digitalization in Serbia and presented the plans for the digitalization of program broadcasting to the participants. In the second part of the workshop, representatives of ANEM stations had the opportunity to hear the presentation of the media expert Jelena Surculija about the possibilities offered to media in area of program offer, while the director of development at B92, Nikola Linta, spoke about the challenges of digitalization for regulators, broadcasters and audience/viewers.

From the presentations of guest panelists, the participants learned more about technical aspects of the digital transition and chosen technical standards; they also learned about the existing regulatory framework for digitalization, what needed to be amended and which new regulations adopted, what were the regulatory priorities; what were the advantages and risks for media in the process of transition to digital broadcasting, as well as after the termination of the said process; what more was needed to be done in order to successfully carry out the transition and to precisely determine the competence of each regulatory body; what were the state's concrete plans to implement the transition; what were the issues and dilemmas that required adequate response for the utmost satisfaction of all participants in the process. The participants have also learned, among other things, about the two planned multiplexes - the first would enclose all national TV programs and some regional, while the second would contain the rest of the regional and all local TV broadcasts; a multiplex would hold no more than 14 channels; television stations would preserve their service zones, which would be provided with one national and several regional head ends (where the insertion of programs would be done); TV outlets would become content providers and their tasks would be to produce program and ensure its transmission to a multiplex, where program packaging would be done, while the operator would take over the broadcasting; the stations also learned more about what specifically would regulate the Rule Book on the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting and access to multiplex", the provisions of which would be very important for them, what benefits, in terms of content offer, would the digital television provide for as well as new services that would facilitate the work of the media; the frequencies allocated in line with the analogue frequency plan would be preserved by June 17, 2015 (while the digitalization of the radio has been postponed to 2017) etc.

* This activity is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and IREX. The contents are the responsibility of authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

The entire report on the workshop, presentations of the panelists and photo gallery is available below:

The entire report on ANEM workshop
Radisa Petrovic and Vladimir Homan presentation
Irini Reljin presentation
Milena Jocic presentation
Biljana Pavlovic presentation
Jelena Surculija presentation
Nikola Linta presentation