Veljanovski: Presence of Both Ruling and Opposition Parties on All TV Stations Possible 

Rade Veljanovski (BETAPHOTO/MEDIJA CENTAR BEOGRAD/MO)

Rade Veljanovski, the co-chair of the Media Oversight Committee -- formed through a dialogue between the ruling and opposition parties regarding how to improve election conditions -- said on Dec. 6 that it is possible for both the ruling and opposition parties to be featured on all television stations, but that this would require "good will, awareness of the importance of such action, [and] a return to professionalism and to [adhering to] legal obligations."

"We are actively working on encouraging the media to provide equal and non-discriminatory coverage of all political actors, and we also intend to send an appeal to politicians, [asking them] to accept invitations and participate in a public dialogue on those TV stations they have, thus far, not [collaborated with]. We cannot directly make anything happen, that responsibility rests with the media," Veljanovski told the Dec. 6 issue of the Blic daily.

He stated that the lack of balanced coverage is most glaringly visible when it comes to politics because more and more media outlets are working for centers of political power. "The number of media is on the rise, the overall amount of money in this sphere is not enough for sustainable survival, but none of that justifies neglecting or violating the rules of the profession," Veljanovski stressed.

Veljanovski further said that the newly-formed Media Oversight Committee shall both advise and supervise. In particular, it will monitor processes that have "so far been criticized", particularly with regards to the "pre-election race."

"So far, it has been noticed on multiple occasions that the media have not acted fairly and in accordance with the law, by failing to ensure equal treatment of all political actors [and] a pluralism of opinion and political representation," Veljanovski explained.