Chronology of establishing the Broadcast Agency Council

2000
November
A task force of media consultants and lawyers begins drafting the Broadcast Act in consultation with the Council of Europe and OSCE.

2001
August
The Serbian government receives the draft Broadcast Act (seventh version)

2002
July
Broadcast Act adopted.

September
All parties authorised to nominate candidates for the Broadcast Council, apart from the parliament and the government, submit nominations within the legal deadline (45 days after the law takes affect)

2003
April
While Serbia is under martial law, the Serbian government announces the nomination of Nenad Cekic. The parliament, after a public outcry, withdraws its nomination of Zoran Petrovic, a former dean of the Belgrade University Electrical Engineering Faculty who had collaborated with the Milosevic regime in the purge of the universities and ordered the beating of students. On April 11, the parliament announces the nomination of Vladimir Cvetkovic.

Despite the stipulation in the Broadcast Act that the election may not be held until thirty days after the public announcement of nominations, the Parliament on April 11 elects eight members of the Council, clearly violating the law in the case of Cekic and Cvetkovic.

On April 16, the Independent Association of Serbian Journalists, Spektar and ANEM demand the dismissal of the disputed members of the Council.

On April 24 2003, eight members of the Council are elected by majority vote.

Goran Radenovic is proposed as the ninth member.

On the same day, sixteen media editors from Belgrade invite the authorities to a dialogue in order to resolve differences and conflicts which had arisen under the state of emergency.

The issue of the illegal appointment of the disputed councillors is not resolved on this occasion.