Media Study - Medija centar Beograd

Committee appreciates that digital technology opens new possibilities in the field of communication, which may
have a certain impact on the audiovisual landscape, and the public and private broadcasters. However, it stresses
that the digital technology also presents risks.
The COE recommendations suggest the creation of adequate legal and economic conditions to guarantee the
diversity of broadcasting services and public access to an increased variety of quality programmes, including the
availability of transfrontier services. Further, it is recommended to protect and, if necessary, implement measures
to safeguard and promote media pluralism, as a counter measure to the increasing concentration in this sector. In
2003 the COE also encourages implementation of a scheme for adequate information on and training in the use of
digital equipment and new services.
The digital system also offers new possibilities for two-way communication, High Definition television, new
telecommunications services and better services to the citizens. A fully fledged digital system will offer possibilities
for services allowing people to watch a television programme whenever they want to. From the broadcasters’ point
of view it offers the possibility for commercial television to open new pay TV channels where the consumers have
to pay for watching a film, a specialized programme or for having a decoder to a coded channel. Other broadcasters
broadcasting free to air are allowed to distribute their programming across 2 - 3 channels in the hope of gaining a
larger total audience and attracting more revenue from the selling of advertisement time. In 2008, The Committee
of Ministers adopted a Declaration on the allocation and management of the digital dividend and the public
interest (February 20 th 2008).
For the public service broadcasting system the new technology provides new ways to serve the public with many
more channels than today 32 .
2.5.3 ECONOMIC BACKGROUND
The Regional Conference on Radio Communications of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) held in
June 2006 in Geneva (ITU RRC06), agreed that the introduction of digital broadcasting and stop of analogue
television in Europe, Africa and part of Asia should be completed by June 17 th , 2015. The Serbian Government on its
meeting 2.7. 2009 committed to implement the switch from analogue to digital terrestrial transmission by April
2012. A working group with the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Society, the Ministry of Culture,
RATEL-BM and RBA was established in October 2008 to prepare the Strategy and Action Plan for the transition from
analogue to digital broadcasting of radio and television programs in the Republic of Serbia. 33 The fact that the
Ministry for Telecommunications and Information Society of the Republic of Serbia (MTIS) has outlined its Digital
Switchover Strategy for Serbian terrestrial radio and television broadcasting, which was adopted by the
Government of the Republic of Serbia on the 2 nd of July 2009 was assessed as a positive step in the Progress report
for 2009.
32 It will be possible to have interactive educational programmes to contribute to lifelong learning programmes. A number of other specialized
channels will with the digitalization open possibility for e.g. children provide regional quality programmes, a channel with programmes from the
archive or a 24-hour news channel. Also a separate channel for parliamentary sessions, employment services, business programmes etc would
be possible. See e.g. Dr. Karol Jakubowicz, Public service broadcasting: a new beginning, or the beginning of the end?, exploring some of the
potential for public service broadcasting in a digitalized environment.
33 Website of the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Society,
http://www.mtid.gov.rs/digitalizacija/digitalizacija/proces_donosenja_strategije_za_prelazak_sa_analognog_na_digitalno_emitovanje_radio_i_
televizijskog_programa_u_republici_srbiji.587.html - read 26.4.2010
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