The Scrubbing of the Beogradjanka

The tensions between Studio B and the Serbian Renewal Movement which emerged during last week's session of the Board of Directors of Studio B drew plenty of attention from the public and the state media. Together they shed light on the sensitive relationship between the media and the founder of Studio B, a complicated game of vanity and interests, desires and possibilities. Vreme Weekly publishes here the texts of Dragan Markovic, one of the founders and the first editor of Studio B, and some of the documentary records of the fragments of the discussions during the session of the Board of Directors of Studio B held last week.

About the Importance of Being Neutral

Milan Bozic, the vice president of the city's government and one of the officials of the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO): ...The topic, precisely formulated, reads: "The Criticism of the Political Parties of the work of Studio B". The problem which we are facing here has multiple layers. First, Studio B is the first example of a communal television station because it was founded by the city's assembly; second, it has been the symbol of free television since the early 90s, which in the 80s was made independent by its founders and became a private share-holding television station, and it has to be returned to the citizens who have demonstrated in the streets of Belgrade for several days; third, it is the only powerful media today at the disposal of the democratic opposition in Serbia; fourth, the representatives of the two most powerful parties from the coalition Zajedno, which holds power in this city, are sitting on the Board of Directors of Studio B ... Therefore, I can see that the position of Studio B is a very complex one. SPO objects that Studio B is not neutral towards the main political parties within the coalition Zajedno, neutral in respect to other possible democratic options in Serbia; that different options are formed and promoted, while SPO is being minimized... We believe that the way in which Studio B's programs are currently being created and edited is to the benefit of the existing democratic government of Belgrade. The morning program is an obsolete journalism which just continues the mechanisms from the past...

About Choosing Between Masochism and Independence

Milan Bozic: It is obvious that we can not succeed in returning Studio B to the shareholders and that's the final word. At that very moment Studio B would become for me just like the other daily newspapers, such as Dnevni Telegraf, the Blic, the Gradjanin... I currently hold a position as a member of Studio B's board of trustees, which I also hold as the representative of the majority group in the city's assembly which is in power, and this presents with a difficult decision. What are we to do further, madam (he asks, turning to Olja Beckovic)? To paraphrase Voltaire, you have the right to do whatever you want, defend that until the end, but do not expect that I will finance this extent of masochism. This is the key issue, this is the crucial problem. We have two alternatives, while only one may continue to exist.

The first option is to take the direction presented by Lila - that we recognize Studio B and position it in such a way that it becomes the media organ for those democratic political parties who make up the main part of that front. Or, the second option is to immediately take the course towards making you independent, to sign the papers overnight, so that city hall can vote to free you, illegally if necessary. This is the second possibility, but, in a way, we need something different which is - the answer of the shareholders...

Lila Radonjic, the editor-in-chief of Studio B: I do not recognize the options.

Zoran Ostojic, the director of Studio B: I don't understand either; what you have just said, as the man from politics, does not seem natural. Doesn't the interest of those who have taken power in Belgrade, and who consider themselves as the democratic force, lie in having the most attractive television station?

Bozic: The Pink television station is the most attractive.

Aleksandar Cotric, a member of the city's government, an official of SPO: Is there any reason to watch a television station which has a correct relationship with one of the parties whose representatives are sitting on its Board of Directors?

Ostojic: Isn't it in the interest of all who call themselves the democratic forces of Serbia to introduce their ideas to three million people, instead of to three hundred? That their democratic ideas reach the greatest possible number of people?

About Incomplete Announcements

Cotric: But if these ideas are presented in a completely distorted way, our interest isn't that the greatest possible number of people watch it, especially if the information is twisted and incomplete; for example, SPO made an announcement to the public on June 3rd this year, consisting of four sentences saying that the TV station Bajina Basta was closed; this was put in the context of the idea of a round table by the coalition partners of the SPO. However, Studio B omitted the part of the announcement which read: "... such a response from the Serbian rulers, in a situation when the majority of the opposition parties have abandoned the idea of a round table discussion on election terms, is to be expected in the future, too, SPO again invites the democratic opposition to help end the further aggravation of the election terms by unanimously supporting the idea of organizing the round table."

The part which remained in the announcement of the party suggested to the viewers of Studio B that it was not an announcement by the political party but only the news from some press agency. Therefore, the crucial part of the announcement was left out.

About the Authors' Insomnia

Olja Beckovic, the editor of the show Utisak Nedelje: As I remember, the day we first came here and promoted these people, there was the idea which has never been realized, I don't know why, that all three leaders of the coalition Zajedno sign that they will not interfere with the editorial policy of Studio B. There was talk and there were assurances for three months that we are asking, that is, that you are asking for the return of the independent media. This is an independent television and that is the sense of my disagreement; the city's assembly is mentioned here as the founder of Studio B, and therefore it is the interest of the assembly, therefore the interest of the parties comprising that assembly; out of that comes the impression that you believe you have the right to direct editorial policy (that it is within your competence, prim. red.). I have understood differently, that the function of the Board of Trustees is to protect us from the political parties, but the Board does not protect us; on the contrary, the members of the Board share the objections of those parties. It seems to me that it has nothing to do with this company's interest in being independent...

I really get panicked at the thought that every week I will have to ponder how to refer to people and carefully check every shot so that no one will insult Vuk Draskovic. I have to carefully think about the editing, and my editing now lasts up to six hours longer than it used to, because I have to give serious thought to each and every proposal as how it will be understood; there is the atmosphere of utter inhibition (auto-censoring, adds Lila Radonjic) as to who I am free to call... When I invite guests, I do not choose them by the party they belong to, but I try to invite the people who have some name and last name...

SPO does not want to come, and then there are stories that Studio B is biased and inclined towards the democrats. What are we to do now, should we cease inviting the democrats?

About the Moscow Mirror

Miodrag Perisic, the official of the Democratic Party: ...The coalition Zajedno maybe has its problems, it solves them or it doesn't, but it is not the topic of this meeting; the topic here is something else and I believe that some of the objections of the parties are appropriate. I can quote also one good example of Studio B's reporting. Vuk Draskovic, Ms. Pesic and I were in Moscow, the circumstances of the visit are not important now, but Mr. Cotric, who is also the city's minister for information, reported only on the visit of Vuk Draskovic, although we were all sitting together in the meeting.

Cotric: You were mentioned too; and how could you see Studio B in Moscow?

Perisic: I saw the video, but I was satisfied because the operations of Vuk Draskovic abroad were, for me, the end of the diplomatic cycle of the coalition Zajedno... I do not wish to compare myself to Vuk Draskovic who is the president of a big political party, but the essential question that we should draw from this objection is whether Vuk Draskovic's statement about the meeting with Madeleine Albright was more important than what really happened there. Mister Draskovic presented his impressions from that meeting for the purpose of the local public. We, finally, need the kind of television which will teach the RTS that nothing from abroad serves the needs of the local public... We have heard here today a serious analysis of the political reporting from the standpoint of the legitimate SPO's interests. Is this legitimate party interest also an objective critical perception of the situation in the news department of Studio B? I don't think it is.

About Anger and Refusal

Dragana Milicevic-Milutinovic, the editor of the show Intervju Gledalaca: In order to make things perfectly clear, I will use the example of myself and my show Intervju Gledalaca, which, I believe, can give space and understanding about what is going on. I have invited several times the president of SPO, but the answer has been that he was not satisfied with the operation of Studio B and that he did not wish to participate in the live shows. I have invited also the president of the Board of Directors, the president of the city's assembly, but the answers were that the show is bad. I agree that a politician has the right to select the shows he wants to participate in, but I believe that one must not base one's conclusions that someone participates less in the shows because of that, because there are also those who like these shows and want to participate in them; this very fact has created a disproportion, in spite of our wish to take care of the minutes devoted to various political parties. You inform us of your political attitude, tell us that you do not like the show, and you will not come; I have nothing against that, but don't blame us...