Seminar on freedom, independence and sustainability of public service media in South East Europe to open in Sarajevo on Monday
11 November 2011
Hido Biščević, RCC Secretary General (right) and Josip Popovac, President, European Association of Public Service Media in South East Europe, at the signing of Protocol on Regional Cooperation in Education and Training among members of the Association, in Sarajevo, BiH, on 30 September 2011. (Photo: RCC/Dado Ruvic)
SARAJEVO, 11 November 2011 – Over 50 participants from the Regional Cooperation Council’s 13 South East European members will discuss independence and sustainability of the region’s public service media in Sarajevo, on Monday, 14 November.
The international seminar South East Europe 20 Years On: Transformation from State to Public Broadcasting is co-organized by the European Commission (EC)’s Enlargement Directorate-General and the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat, with support of the European Association of Public Service Media in South East Europe and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
The aim of the conference is to analyze the state of public service media in South East Europe 20 years into the democratic transition, with a view to outline a future course of action in support of their freedom, independence and sustainability.
The event will be opened by Hido Biščević, RCC Secretary General; Rudo Vidović, Minister of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Andris Kesteris, Principal Advisor on Civil Society and Inter-institutional Relations, Directorate General for Enlargement, European Commission; Ingrid Deltenre, Director General, European Broadcasting Union; and Josip Popovac, President, the European Association of Public Service Media in South East Europe.
The seminar has been organized in response to the EC’s Speak Up! Conference on freedom of expression and the media, held in Brussels in May 2011, that dedicated significant space to issues of importance to the public service media.
The event will gather directors general of public public service media, senior government officials, representatives of regulatory authorities and civil society (media organisations) from South East Europe, as well as relevant international organisations.
Journalists are invited to attend the seminar, on Monday, 14 November 2011. It will open at 9.00, and the conclusions will be presented at 17.00, at the premises of the RCC Secretariat, Trg BiH 1/V, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
More information available HERE.