12. 11. 2013

PRESS STATEMENT BY ANEM ON THE ANNOUNCED LAUNCH OF TV NOVA

Belgrade, November 12, 2013 - The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) is concerned because certain print media outlets have published reports announcing impending launch of TV Nova, additionally complicating the already complex situation that has resulted from the decision by the Republic Broadcasting Agency (RRA) to hold a public contest for a broadcasting frequency with national coverage which suffers from numerous formal and technical flaws. At the same time, these reports have misled the public regarding the characteristics of the new broadcaster and created an atmosphere of inappropriate pressure on the deciding process of the independent regulator.

ANEM reminds that TV Nova had participated in the previous public contest for a broadcasting frequency with national coverage, which ended unsuccessfully. At the time, the Council of the RRA decided that none of the candidates - including TV Nova - had satisfied the legal requirements for issuance of license for a national frequency. On the basis of the available information, there have been no applicants for the new public contest, and there is no any television stations of the same name in the Register of Licenses for Cable Broadcasting. Also, it is not known whether TV Nova has been issued a temporary broadcasting license.

Although it is not clear whether TV Nova has a broadcasting license or not, the daily newspaper Kurir has reported that TV Nova will begin broadcasting "in the following days", in accordance with "highest-quality technical and visual standards that are available only in some of the most developed countries in the world." Kurir has also reported unofficial information saying that already on 15 November the TV station will "test its operations by broadcasting a friendly football match between representations of Serbia and Russia" that is to be take place in Dubai.

For these reasons, ANEM demands that the Republic Broadcasting Agency respond to reports published by the daily newspaper Kurir and answer the following questions:

1. Do these media reports indicate that TV Nova has already won the public contest for the national (terrestrial) coverage that the RRA had recently announced - and much earlier than the deadline stipulated by the Law on Broadcasting?

1. Has TV Nova already received a license for cable broadcasting and is it allowed to begin operating soon, as the Kurir reports?

1. Has TV Nova received a temporary broadcasting license, in accordance with the Article 60 of the Law on Broadcasting, taking into account the announcements of intended broadcasting of the football match that is to take place on 15 November? If that is truly the case, has the RRA established that all legal requirements have been met i.e. all conditions pertaining to distribution of TV programme (the manner in which the signal is distributed and over which infrastructure, whether a license for a radio has been acquired, etc.)

1. If none of these license exists, are we witnessing announcements of a launch of a "pirate" television station. What steps is the RRA going to take in the case of unauthorized broadcasting?

ANEM President, Milorad Tadic