21. 03. 2012

RBA GENERAL BINDING INSTRUCTION ON BROADCASTERS’ CONDUCT DURING PRE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN – WORKSHOP FOR ANEM MEMBERS

On March 21, 2012, ANEM organized in Belgrade, at NUNS premises, a workshop for its members on General binding instruction of the RBA to radio and television stations (broadcasters) in the pre-election campaign for local, provincial and republic parliamentary elections, the presidential elections and elections for national councils of national minorities. The panelists of the workshop, held in Belgrade, were representatives of the RBA - Goran Karadzic, Deputy Chairman of the RBA Council and Dragan Lukic, Head of the monitoring and analysis of the RBA, as well as Ksenija Golubovic-Filipovic and Slobodan Kremenjak,  ANEM lawyers from the law office "Zivkovic&Samardzic". Guest of the workshop was Gordana Susa, a member of the RBA Council.

In view of the forthcoming elections and current popularity of the topic, the response of participants was remarkable. The workshop was attended by 31 representatives of 21 ANEM stations: Radio Srbobran from Srbobran; Radio Paracin from Paracin; Radio Far from Alibunar; Radio Patak from Valjevo; Radio Luna from Uzice; Beograd, Radio Bus from Kovin; Radio Em from Knjazevac; Radio Pozega from Pozega, Radio Plus from Pirot; RTV OK from Kovacica; RTK from Kragujevac, RTV Sumadija from Arandjelovac; RTV Srem from Ruma, RTV Krusevac from Krusevac; RTV Trstenik from Trstenik; RTV Caribrod from Dimitrovgrad; RTV Prima from Bajina Basta; TV Smederevo from Smederevo; TV Pozega from Pozega; TV Panonija from Novi Sad and Sremska TV from Sid. Also present at the workshop were the representatives of RTV Kraljevo and Radio Active from Becej.

The Republic Broadcasting Agency brought the General Binding Instruction on March 7, 2012, prescribing the conduct of broadcasters during pre-election campaigns. Unlike previously passed Instructions that were brought in the past specifically addressing the concrete elections, this Instruction of the RBA are universal and comprehensive in character and should be valid for all future elections, with possible further modifications and shaping, in order to reach the final text that would be clear, acceptable and enforceable. The document contains instructions that apply to all radio and TV stations; that are particularly relevant to organizations with the status of public broadcasting service, including radio and TV stations of local and regional importance, as well as radio and TV stations of the civil sector; the instructions that are specifically related to the commercial broadcasters and the instructions relating to the presentation of election lists and candidates at the forthcoming elections for national minority councils.

Given the importance of this Instruction of the RBA for broadcasters and the fact that the election campaign has already begun, ANEM has timely provided its members with an opportunity to acquire answers to all their questions directly from the most competent interlocutors - the RBA representatives, regarding practical application of specific rules provided in the Instructions. Along with the representatives of the RBA, present lawyers from ANEM's Legal department have also significantly contributed to the quality of discussions and answers with their legal interpretation and clarification of the rules of the Instructions. They discussed all the important instructions applicable to the upcoming elections, scheduled for May 6, 2012. In addition to clarification of instructions applying to all broadcasters, particularly clarified were the differences in the obligations of commercial broadcasters from those founded by local governments; the difference between the usual reporting on the work of authorities and reporting on the pre-election campaign; restrictions in broadcasting of paid TV time for pre-election presentation; limitations regarding the duration and marking of political advertising slots and other political advertising rules; respect of the principle of equal representation in radio and TV programs of all participants in the electoral process; the application of rules on labeling radio and TV programs with "pre-election program"; what was considered as indirect political propaganda, and so on.

According to the participants, representatives of ANEM radio and TV stations, the workshop was very useful, given that many of them had a lot of doubts regarding the application of prescribed rules and their obligations during the pre-election campaign and the elections. The workshop has contributed to their better understanding of the Instruction, as well as how to implement the rules prescribed by the document. Also, this workshop has enabled them to obtain competent advices about how they can solve specific problems or challenges in their daily work during the pre-election campaign. Besides the right choice of topic and high quality of speakers, debate, the manner in which the topic was treated, as well as the quality of answers provided, the participants of the workshop emphasized the particular importance of having had the opportunity to communicate directly with representatives of the RBA, otherwise not easily available to them.

By organizing this workshop, ANEM continued to provide much needed support to its stations in a manner that would assist them in fulfilling their task of timely, objective and accurate informing of the public during the pre-election campaign. ANEM will prepare an extended report for its other stations that were not able to attend the workshop, with advices and instructions, which will be made available to them on ANEM Intranet.