Post-Soviet Media Law & Policy Newsletter

KULTURA

I.  VGTRK head believes Duma wants him out. 
II.  St Petersburg: reaction to radio and TV changes. 
III.  Yeltsin speaks on need for Kultura TV channel. 
IV.  New Channel Is Politics, Not Culture, Analysts Say. 
V.  VGTRK head says Kultura decree a “wise” decision. 
VI.  Text of decree establishing Kultura TV.

MEDIA NEWS FROM THE DUMA

I.  Journalists’ union protests against draft media law.n’s programs. 
II. Parliament passes radio-TV bill which Yeltsin vetoed.

CHECHNYA: JOURNALISTS KIDNAPPED, RELEASED

I.  Top Chechen official involved in freeing TV journalists shot dead. 
II.  Chechen vice-president to sue Russian TV company chief. 
III.  Yeltsin defends Chechen leaders against Russian media attack.

I.  State TV head’s first year in office reviewed.
II.  Ministry denies censoring Radio Liberty relays

I.  More delays in granting licence to Euro Lotto TV.

I.  Central Asian conferecne in Kyrgystan to discuss Kazakhstan.

I.  President returns TV-radio laws to parliament.
II.  New law on media coverage of authorities.

I.  Journalists object to end of Russian, French broadcasts.
II.  Contracts with ORT and other foreign TV stations to be reviewed.

I.  CME considers Launch of Hungarian Satellite Channel. 
II.  Irisz TV to take capacity on Amos 1; CME to launch satellite channel.

I.  Financial and Cultural Imperialism Affects TV Markiza.

THE STRUGGLE FOR MEDIA CONTROL IN REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

I.  Planes for Jamming Broadcasts Head for Bosnia, Balkans.
II.  Serbia slams US over move to jam Bosnian Serb broadcasts.
III.  Bosnian Serbs pledge to cooperate over media access to avoid jamming.
IV.  Serbs sever links with international envoys.
V.  NATO Backs Down From Confrontation with Bosnian Serb Hard-liners.
VI.  U.S. Troops Yield TV Transmitter to Bosnian Serbs.
VII.  Serb official rejects transmitter takeover explanation [c.f. article IX].
VIII.  Pale-controlled media carry anti-Sfor statements.
IX.  Bosnian Serbs Battle Each Other Over TV Transmitter.
X.  Plavsic Breaks Hard-liners’ TV Monopoly.
XI.  Westendorp and late Gerd Wagner call for action over Serb Radio TV.
XII.  Serb TV director: Banja Luka TV “under pressure.”
XIII.  Bosnian Serb radio-TV staff call for Sfor support.
XIV.  Levin Proposes Use of EC-30 to Jam Bosnian Serb Broadcasts.

CRISIS IN SERBIAN MEDIA: A WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

I.  Serbs’ Shrill TV Riling the West.

OTHER NEWS AND ASSESSMENTS FROM FORMER YUGOSLAVIA

I.  Vjesnik views efforts to expand independent media.
II.  Radio B92 editor assesses status of independent media.
III.  Prijedor TV “much more hard-line” than Pale.
IV.  US firm competes with Media Most for Studio B.

I.  Zajedno demands free media, elections dialogue at rally. 
II.  Politika views growth of illegal broadcasting stations in Serbia. 
III.  Rebroadcasters of VOA confer at US embassy. 
IV.  Foreign assistance for media in Serbia. 
V.  Croatian State TV criticizes award to independent papers.

I.  Milentijevic threatens to “abolish” Radio-TV Kragujevac. 
II.  Radio stations in Pozega closed by authorities. 
III.  Bajina Basta local TV station closed. 
IV.  Serbia’s “illegal” broadcasters will be closed, asked to register.

I.  BK TV, suffering censorship, turns to the web.
II.  Independent BK TV cut off in most parts of Serbia.
III.  Kosovo police arrest BK TV director.
IV.  New management of independent BK Radio-TV named.
V.  Censorship in BK TV editorial policy?

I.  Milentijevic on the Information Law. 
II.  Bidding for Serbian frequencies to start soon. 
III.  Matic on broadcast of foreign programs and the Information Law. 
IV.  Government to set up radio and TV at federal level. 
V.  YRT to be established, federal media law to be passed in 1997. 
VI.  Matic at Serbian Journalists Association: all media is dependent. 
VII.  Milentijevic at the Serbian Journalist’s Association. 
VIII.  RTS plans satellite service to America.

I.  Montenegrin journalists express dissatisfaction: Tanjug is a “mouthpiece.” 
II.  Serbia monopolizing Montenegrin media. 
III.  Montenegrin TV and print criticized in Parliament.