Post-Soviet Media Law & Policy Newsletter


Issue 45     Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law     April 15, 1998  

INSIDE

Signs of the Times

Russia
Government Audit of State TV
I.  Audit points to abuses by federal broadcaster.
II.  Auditors find serious shortcomings at Russian state TV.
Media News from Duma Kultura Other Media News
Azerbaijan
I.  ANS planning expansion of TV broadcasts.
II.  Cable TV joint venture steps up activity.
Estonia
I.  Advertising boost for private TV stations.
II.  Media watchdog head unhappy with transmission costs.
Kyrgyzstan
I.  Decree establishes new state TV, radio corporation.
II.  Wired radio system in financial difficulties.
III.  Kyrgyz people will soon watch Russian TV.
Moldova
I.  Opposition to Romanian private Pro-TV studio.
II.  Politicians fight to control the media.
III.  Dnestr radio centre rebuilt with Russian funds.
Tajikistan
I.  First private TV station on the air.
Ukraine
I.  Firm responds to Russia video piracy complaint.
II.  Crackdown on Russian media on the eve of elections.
III.  Crimean TV/radio firm taken off air without warning.
IV.  President vetoes amendments to broadcasting law.
V.  Parliament passes amendments to broadcasting bill.
Albania
I.  Law on frequencies to affect survival of stations.
II.  Frequency allocation system criticized.
III.  Council of Europe pledges to back Albanian media.
Slovakia
I.  Court overturns regulator’s ruling on Markiza TV.
II.  Slovak TV rejects media regulator reservations.
III.  Media watchdog calls on Slovak TV to be objective.
IV.  Parliament rejects broadcasting law amendment.
Yugoslavia and Former Yugoslavia
A.   Bosnia-Herzegovina
Reopening of SRT
I.  Bijeljina TV studio receives Banja Luka SRT programmes.
II.  Serbs to centralize radio-TV, abolish Pale studio.
III.  Sfor says Pale studio cannot set programme policy.
IV.  Unified Bosnian SRT network re-established.
V.  OHR Mostar adviser to join SRT.
VI.  Bosnian Serb TV station to reopen under free press rules.
VII.  Agreement on return of SRT TV transmitters.
VIII.  NATO to hand Bosnian Serb TV transmitters back to new govt.
Other Media News
I.  State TV editor resigns over ban on trade union report.
II.  Main Muslim party complains of bias by Bosnian TV.
III.  Serb journalists reject international TV supervisor.
B.   Croatia
I.  Journalist group suggests changes to TV law.
II.  Telecom council invites tenders for new TV channel.
III.  Croatian Serbs to demand national radio station.
IV.  Journalists protest Croatian authorities’ grip on media.
V.  Forum 21 calls on four Croatian state television executives to quit.
C.   Montenegro
I.  Montenegro to form its own news agency, slams Belgrade media.
II.  Montenegro to “ignore” frequency tender, start agency.
III.  Minister on news agency plans, broadcast subsidy.
D.   Serbia
Closure of Mladenovac TV
I.  Mladenovac residents protest closure of local TV.
II.  Editor on decision to end Mladenovac TV broadcasts.
Closure of TV Feman
I.  Opposition Feman TV may reopen illegally.
II.  Federal inspectors stop TV Feman broadcasts.
Other Media News
I.  Serb Republic government revokes radio, TV licences.
II.  Milosevic defies the world, media blamed for “terrorism.”
III.  Crackdown on independent media reporting of Kosovo.
IV.  Hardline nationalists to set up own TV station.
V.  Serb Radio-TV director-general sacked.
VI.  Serb Minister calls for co-ordination of broadcasters.
VII.  Yugoslav TV said to be seeking own television channel.
Future of Serbian Media
I.  Future of Bosnian Serb media assessed.
Articles Masthead