Although, according to the previous by-laws, televisions, and national frequencies, had the obligation that a fifth of their content should be so-called quality programs (scientific-educational, cultural-artistic, documentary and children’s programs), if the new draft of the Rulebook on Conditions and Criteria for Broadcasting is adopted license to provide a media service, that obligation will no longer exist.
Cenzolovka reminds that the currently valid regulation on that area states that “a quality program is considered a program in which scientific-educational, cultural-artistic, documentary or children’s programs, i.e. programs for minors, together or individually, make up more than 20 percent of the total annual published program “, and there is not even a word about it in the draft of the new Rulebook.
Instead of a quality program, the draft of the new Rulebook mentions “diversity” and does not deal specifically with the quality of content.
According to the proposed Rulebook, television stations would be required to show several different types of programs, “such as informative, educational, cultural, scientific, sports, entertainment and other program contents”. As before, there is no specified minimum display of the so-called quality program, which practically means that televisions can either not show it or show it minimally. In practice, this means that TV Pink could only broadcast reality, entertainment and informational programs all day long, without the obligation to broadcast scientific, documentary or children’s programs.
Despite the fact that the reports of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) showed that televisions with a license to broadcast with national coverage do not show “quality programming” to a sufficient extent (or do not show it at all), even though the by-laws prescribed certain obligations, which some REM Council that respects the rules could react to non-compliance.
Ivana Stevanović, the executive director of the Slavko Ćuruvi Foundation, says that, “if this Rulebook is adopted, we could expect a series of propaganda and a series of reality shows on national TV channels.”.
– The REM reports themselves, when they were published, state that precisely these programs, which practically cease to be mandatory, were previously broadcast in millions. Instead of imposing measures and, in the end, taking away licenses, REM is now legalizing the reckless behavior of television stations – points out Stevanović.
When asked how the REM will evaluate what constitutes a quality program, if the Rulebook is adopted with this amendment, the president of the Council of this body, Olivera Zekić, told Cenzolovka journalists not to “run in front of the ore”.
– Slowly. Public discussion is there to change something – said Zekić.
And about why REM decided to remove the part about the quality program, he answers briefly: “Read the worst Law on Electronic Media, and it will be clear to you. It will certainly have to be changed.”
Tags: Propaganda reality REM release mandatory CHILDRENS PROGRAM left Society economy
