WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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AUTHOR: M.J.
Yesterday, a group of 40 NGOs submitted proposals for amendments to the Law on Audiovisual Media Services and the Law on the National Public Broadcaster - Public Media Service of Montenegro to all parliamentary clubs.
They demand that immediately after the adoption of the law, the procedure for electing a new RTCG Council with a larger number of members, as well as a new general director of RTCG, will be carried out.
In the press release, they said that the goal of the submitted proposals is to contribute to the adoption of better media laws, which with their provisions create preconditions for improving the independence of the public media service RTCG and the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services.
These 40 NGOs proposed to increase the percentage of own production for Radio Montenegro and Television of Montenegro in the Law on AVM Services. Instead of the proposed 20% for the public radio broadcaster, they proposed an increase to 40%, and instead of the proposed 30% of TVCG's own production, they propose to increase it to a minimum of 60%.
- The reason for the increase in RTCG production is the fact that with 20 million euros allocated from the budget, this public service must produce much more content than is the case now. Only in this way (by legally increasing the volume of own production) can the needs of citizens be met to receive the necessary content in various fields (children's programs, culture, education, science...) - the announcement reads.
They also suggested that the election of the management bodies of the Agency for AVM Services be carried out immediately after the adoption of the law.
- If the goal of changing the law is the professionalization of this institution, then it is not necessary to wait two or three years for the mandate of the existing Council and the director to expire, but to immediately change the new procedures - they believe in these organizations.
They also requested that, as in the draft prepared by the working group, the number of members of the RTCG Council should be increased from nine to 11. This amendment was rejected by Milojko Spajić's cabinet and requested to remain at nine, with the explanation that other public broadcasters do not have so many members.
Pobjeda previously published the comments of Milojko Spajić's cabinet, which were sent to the address of the Ministry of Culture and Media, i.e. to the director of the Media Directorate, Neđeljko Rudović, on a sheet with the RTCG logo, which caused suspicion that those amendments/comments were made in the cabinet of Boris Raonic, and not the Prime Minister .
In its explanation for increasing the number of members of the Council, the NGO points out that in this way it would contribute to better program content.
Also, it was proposed to include a representative of the Bar Association in the composition of the Council, who needs this body to bring the necessary knowledge in the field of law in order to reduce illegalities in the work.
- If the legal profession was more represented in the Council, it is possible that the current Council would not have made illegal decisions when appointing the general director of RTCG - said those NGOs.
That Boris Raonic was illegally elected by the RTCG Council was confirmed by several court rulings, both final and first-instance, and the re-election is also in the Special State Prosecutor's Office.
When it comes to the Law on the National Public Broadcaster-Public Media Service of Montenegro (Law on RTCG), a group of NGOs proposes reintroducing bans on advertising and teleshopping on television programs in the period from 8 to 10 p.m.
They point out that this solution was adopted by the working group for the drafting of media laws (which also exists in the current law), considering that the revenues from marketing for TVCG in this period are negligible compared to the total revenues from the budget it generates (currently around 20 million euros). while on the other hand, commercial media, whose total annual budgets are smaller than RTCG, can have a significant source of income.
Pobjeda wrote that Prime Minister Spajić accepted certain solutions of the RTCG Law, such as the one to limit inappropriate political influence on the RTCG Council in the selection of members from non-governmental organizations.
However, the prime minister insisted that marketing can be broadcast in "prime time". The difference between the Public Service of Montenegro and regional public services is that only the Montenegrin one is financed from the budget, while the others are financed by subscriptions and fees.
The NGOs that sent the proposals point out that this decision on the broadcasting of marketing in "prime time", i.e. the ban, is important to accept as soon as possible, because the Law on AVM Services increases the minimum of own production of commercial TV broadcasters to 25%, so the position of commercial broadcasters would be doubly worse if TVCG were given the opportunity to use the marketing space in the period from 8 to 10 p.m.
They reminded that many well-known public media services have a ban on broadcasting marketing during that period and cited examples of the British BBC, the Swedish public service, the Netherlands, France...
Non-governmental organizations point out that when determining public policy, care should be taken to find optimal measures that will lead to an increase in the production of commercial media in order to provide better information to the public, but also on the other hand, that will enable fair market conditions.
The group of NGOs proposed to tighten the criteria for the selection of Council members, general director and directors of organizational units with 5 to 10 years of work experience with VII1 level of qualification.
Prime Minister Spajić's office, on paper with the RTCG logo, said that five years of work experience is enough. The current Law on RTCG also states that 10 years of work experience and degree VII-1 are necessary, and the Montenegrin courts said in their judgments that Raonic did not meet this requirement because he graduated in 2018. In the Opinion of the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, it is stated that he could apply for that position only in 2028.
The NGO clarifies that the new law should contribute to greater professionalization of the RTCG and the fulfillment of the goals prescribed by law.
- It is not logical that better management in RTCG can be achieved if people with less work experience are appointed to the Council and as General Director. On the contrary, it is more likely that people with more professional experience, with the prescribed VII1 level of qualification, will contribute to more responsible decision-making than people with less professional experience - they explain.
The proposers are the Media Center, Media Union of Montenegro, Union of Free Trade Unions of Montenegro, CIN-CG, HRA, Media Institute, Juventas, CGO, UMHCG, NGO Prima, Association SPEKTRA, CEMI, Alliance for Equal Rights of LGBTI Persons ERA, Crnogorski women's lobby, Kvir Montenegro, Society of Montenegrin Publishers, Center for Women's Rights (CŽK), CRNVO, Union of Young Entrepreneurs of Montenegro, Montenegrin PEN Center, NADA-Herceg Novi, Association of Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities - Podgorica, Association for Affirmation and Support to young people - Podgorica, Association for support of children with developmental disabilities and their families of Montenegro - Podgorica, Vuča, Vunov lom, "Help - action for the north of Montenegro", Bankruptcy in Montenegro, NGO SOS phone for women and children victims of violence Bijelo Polje, Manifesto, Bijelo Polje Association of NGOs, European Youth Center of Montenegro, Agro Center, Bijelo Polje Democratic Center, Association for the Protection of the Rights of Workers and Unemployed Persons of the Municipality of Bijelo Polje, E-Roma, Association of Roma Novi Put, Democratic Progress, Green Action and Ecological Society Breznica.
