BELGRADE, March 14, 2002 – In view of the amount of false information in circulation on this matter, B92 presents the following facts:

• No one has exclusive rights to live broadcasts of the trial of Slobodan Milosevic at The Hague.

• Any television station wanting to broadcast the trial may subscribe to the Eurovision live coverage broadcasts.

• Any television station with mobile satellite access can connect to the Tribunal’s internal television system and broadcast the trial free of charge.  This is how B92 is obtaining its live feed.

B92 has a correspondent, a technical team and a satellite van in The Hague.  The company is also preparing to broadcast other proceedings of interest during the examining of protected witness and during longer recesses in the Milosevic trial.

B92’s program is rebroadcast by the more than thirty local television stations in the Association of Independent Electronic Media network.  These same stations also rebroadcast other programs produced by B92 which deal with the issue of truth, responsibility and reconciliation and which shed light on the causes of wars and crime in the former Yugoslavia.

B92 began preparing for live coverage from The Hague a year ago by applying to a number of foundations and international organisations for assistance.  This made it possible for us to be prepared when the trial begun.  We have already secured coverage of the trial for the next twelve months, thanks to IREX, an organisation which deals with improving the quality of media and information.  This coverage will continue regardless of whether the domestic audience is interested in the trial or not.  In addition to the live coverage, we also produce a program at 7.00 p.m. each day which is a review of the most important events at the Tribunal.

B92’s editors believe that the trial itself, and all other proceedings against people from other nations, deserve the attention of people in Serbia as part of the process of facing the recent past and as one of the ways to learn the most important facts from our past.  In the same way we shall also strive to cover trials in local courts once they begin.  We shall also attempt to provide as much information as possible on the ways in which the proceedings are conducted, and also produce short critical analyses as part of our attempt to influence the proceedings in the sense of seeing to it that they be fair and correct.  Regardless of the proceedings, the role of the media and journalists is to try, through professional investigative journalism, to assemble as many facts as possible which shed light on all the relevant events.  Just how complete the picture of our past will be exactly depends on this, because it is clear that we won’t get this picture just by watching the proceedings at the Tribunal.

In addition to the live coverage, B92 will also produce documentaries and organise ongoing debates on the crimes and the causes of violence.  The “Wars 1991-1999” documentation centre operating within B92 is very important in this role.  Its aim is to collect and preserve documentation on wars and the testimonies of those involved in them: soldiers and victims, silent observers and those who opposed the wars.

We are convinced that the processes of democratisation, reform and economic prosperity, the renaissance of the country, will be slowed down if we fail to face the evil of the past with a heavy dose of criticism and show our willingness to accept unpleasant truths about ourselves.

We shall do everything within the power of our profession to expedite those process which can improve the quality of life of each and every individual.

Veran Matic
Editor in Chief RTV B92