OSCE Mission Head concerned about obligation of Radio-Television Serbia to broadcast parliament sessions

BELGRADE, 2 October 2007 - The Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, Ambassador Hans Ola Urstad, expressed concern today over a recent instruction issued by the Republican Broadcasting Agency (RBA) requiring Radio-Television Serbia (RTS) to transmit live broadcasts of parliament sessions.

"The OSCE Mission is surprised by and concerned about the instruction," said Ambassador Urstad. "It suggests considerable influence of the RBA over the editorial policy of the public service broadcaster, going against European standards on the matter.

"While parliamentary sessions are certainly of public interest, the decision on the appropriate form of safeguarding that public interest should be left to the RTS editorial board without interfering with its ability to deliver comprehensive wide-range programme service."

The OSCE's 56 participating States have committed to promote a free media, which includes editorial independence.

According to the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Recommendation R (96) 10, "the legal framework governing public service broadcasting organizations should clearly stipulate their editorial independence and institutional autonomy, especially in areas such as: the definition of programme schedules; the conception and production of programmes; the editing and presentation of news and current affairs programmes; the organization of the activities of the service..." The Recommendation also specifies that "supervisory bodies of public service broadcasting organizations should not exercise any a priori control over programming."