Media Study - Medija centar Beograd

3.3.2 RECOMMENDATION FOR EMPOWERMENT OF RBA ADMINISTRATION AND SUB-COMMITTEES
Background
Within the Broadcasting Law the RBA administration could apparently have stronger authority and organizational
set up to proactively prepare legislation, recommendations or decisions. The current situation leaves the RBA
Agency Council very powerful and open to criticism.
Decisions made by the RBA Agency Council concerning license allocation are often perceived as arbitrary by the
very competitive media environment. Clarity in guidelines and evaluation criteria for applications is therefore
crucial.
Recommendation
It is recommended that power from the RBA Agency Council is delegated to the RBA administration and
independent sub-committees in addition to establishing detailed application and monitoring procedures:
The RBA Agency Council should make its administration proactively develop draft policies and general
instructions as per Article 12 of the Law on Broadcasting.
The RBA Agency Council should be obliged to establish independent expert committees in relevant areas to
make decisions or recommendations for the Council in close cooperation with the administration.
The capacity of the administrative body should be increased through training, exchanges and, where
necessary, employment of new experts.
The RBA should develop and publicise detailed criteria for granting and evaluating broadcasting licenses.
SWOT Recommendation 2
Strength Will help strengthen arm’s length principle, strengthens transparency, strengthens
well founded professional decisions
Weakness May demand legislative change to make the Agency Council change its procedures
Opportunity The coming digital switch will be so demanding that the Agency Council will be
forced to delegate decision making
Threat That the Agency Council considers that the recommendations compromise their
power or integrity
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