Forwarded message: > From ccmail.cpj.org!aonion Thu May 30 21:20:21 1996 > Date: Thu, 30 May 96 15:04:52 EST > From: "Amanda Onion" <aonion@ccmail.cpj.org> > Message-Id: <9604308334.AA833494328@ccmail.cpj.org> > To: matic@b92.opennet.org > Subject: Protest > > SENT BY FAX > May 30, 1996 > > His Excellency Slobodan Milosevic > President of the Republic of Serbia > Fax: +381-11-656-862 > > Mr. Aleksandre Tijanic > Minister of Information > Republic of Serbia > Fax: +381-11-685-937 > > His Excellency Zoran Lilic > President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Fax: +381-11-656-862 > > Mr. Dragutin Brein > Federal Minister of Information > Federal Republic of Yugoslavia > Fax: +381-11-600-446 > > Your Excellency, > > The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is writing to express its > grave concern about today's take-over of the independent radio > station, Radio Smederevo in the industrial town of Smederevo, 25 miles > southeast of Belgrade, Yugoslavia. > > According to the executive director of the Association of Indepedent > Electronic Media in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, Veran Matic, the > Municipality of Smederevo voted unaminously yesterday evening to > increase Municipality ownership of Radio Smederevo from 17 to 63 > percent. With majority ownership, the Municipality immediately > installed members of the ruling Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) as the > new manager and executive board for the radio station. This morning > the new manager and executive board members entered Radio Smederevo's > offices and commenced the take-over. Electricity was cut off at the > station's offices to ensure the success of the take-over. According to > Matic, today's broadcast was the last to be produced by the original > staff of Radio Smederevo; tommorrow the newly-installed staff will > begin controlling production. Radio Smederevo was the only independent > electronic medium in the region. As elections near this fall, the > take-over ensures that no independent broadcast coverage is permitted > in this region. > > Last February NTV Studio B, the only independent television station in > Belgrade, was taken over by similar means by Serbian authorities. To > date, NTV Studio B is still run by members of the ruling SPS. > > As a nonpartisan organization dedicated to defending press freedom > around the world, CPJ considers the take-over of Radio Smederevo a > serious violation of press freedom. We respectfully urge Your > Excellency to reinstate the original staff and board at Radio > Smederevo and restore the station's indepedence. > > Thank you for your attention. We welcome your comments. > > Sincerely, > > > William A. Orme, Jr. > Executive Director > > cc: > Ambassador Zoren Popovic > Ambassador Dragomir Djokic > Soros Foundation, Belgrade, Yugoslavia UNPROFOR, Belgrade > UNESCO > American Society of Newspaper Editors Amnesty International > Article 19 (United Kingdom) > Artikel 19 (The Netherlands) > Canadian Committee To Protect Journalists > Congressional Committee to Support Writers and Journalists Freedom > House > Human Rights Watch > Index on Censorship > International Association of Broadcasting International Federation of > Journalists International Federation of Newspaper Publishers > International Journalism Institute > International PEN > International Press Institute > National Association of Newspapers > National Press Club > The Newspaper Guild > North American National Broadcasters Association Reporters sans > Frontieres > Overseas Press Club > The Society of Professional Journalists World Press Freedom Committee > >
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Veran Matic, Editor in Chief tel: +381-11-322-9922
Radio B92, Belgrade, Yugoslavia fax: +381-11-324-8075
