11. 02. 2004

UNLAWFUL DISMISSALS IN PIROT

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) wishes to protest the violation of the Broadcast Act in the appointment of the Management Board at the Pirot-based Informative Public Company “Sloboda”, an ANEM member, and the violation of the law in the dismissal of the editorial team at Radio and Television Pirot, of which “Sloboda” is the founder.

ANEM notes that following the extraordinary local elections in Pirot, held on December 17 last year, the new Council dismissed the “Sloboda” Management Board and named a new board, which included representatives of the Socialist Party of Serbia, the Serbian Radical Party, the People's Justice Party and the People's Democratic Party. The Broadcast Act was violated since Aleksandar Manojlovic, a member of the presidency of the People's Democratic Party, was appointed to the Management Board, despite the fact that under the law, while “Sloboda” has the status of a public company, he cannot be a member of this body. The new local authorities also named a new director, Svetlana Matic Metodijev, at whose recommendation the Management Board dismissed Radio Pirot editor Emilija Lilic and Television Pirot editor Dragica Pavlov Krstic. The dismissal of Emilija Lilic and Dragica Pavlov Krstic also goes against the regulations of the Employment Act, since it was carried out without explanation.

ANEM states that the violation of the laws that followed the dismissals at RTV Pirot and the unlawful appointment of senior party officials as members of the Sloboda Management Board suggest a possible attempt at influencing the work of “Sloboda”, limiting its independence and the independence of its journalists – note that one of the first decisions of the new editorial team at Radio Pirot was to dismiss Nenad Paunovic, the editor of the morning and contact programmes, after airing comments on the dismissals at “Sloboda”.

It is essential that the proven professionalism and independence of work at RTV Pirot be preserved. ANEM emphasises the need, particularly in local public companies, and while they retain such status, to ensure that programmes, particularly news-related, are protected from any kind of influence from the authorities, political organisations or centres of financial power.

The dismissed editorial team at RTV Pirot had shown a high degree of professionalism in its work in radio and television, as reflected in viewer and listening figures. The dismissed editorial team and journalists were an example of how to successfully resist pressures from the local authorities and political organisations.

ANEM calls on the relevant authorities to investigate the legality of the dismissals at “Sloboda” in Pirot, and notes that it will continue to follow the work of the public bodies within the company, the attitude of the new leadership towards achieving the aims the Association sets for itself and for its members, and its respect for the adopted code of ethics for the broadcast media.

Slobodan Stojsic
Chairman of ANEM Managing Board