Activity Details (ID# 5938)

Activity Synopsis

The main objective of the seminar was to review the legislative and practical problems encountered by broadcasting regulatory authorities in South-Eastern Europe with regard to their law-enforcement powers and to identify possible approaches to overcome these problems at both the regional and national levels

 

The practical organisation of the seminar by the Polish Broadcasting Council was excellent. Mrs Danuta Waniek, President of the National Broadcasting Council of Poland, and Mr Alexander Vladychenko, Director in the Directorate General of Human Rights, delivered the opening speeches. Two other members of the Polish Broadcasting Council were present throughout the seminar.
Representatives of all the regulatory bodies in the region, with the exception of Croatia, participated in the seminar. Introductory presentations were made by Mr Christophoros Christophorou, media and political analyst and former Director of the Radio and Television Authority of Cyprus, on Council of Europe standards and their implementation in practice and by Dr Karol Jakubowicz, expert of the National Broadcasting Council of Poland and Vice-Chairperson of the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee on the Mass Media, on the regulation and practice in Poland.
The discussions focused on the problems faced by each regulatory body in performing its programme-monitoring functions, particularly with regard to their powers to impose sanctions on broadcasters who violate the regulations. Two speakers representing the broadcasters’ point of view – Mr Petko Georgiev from IREX ProMedia, Bulgaria, and Mr George Chirita, Executive Director of the Romanian Association for Audiovisual Communication – provided an interesting contraposition to some of the views expressed by the regulatory authorities.
During the seminar, the participants raised the following main concerns:
 In a number of countries, some broadcasters operate without licences, broadcast outside their authorised areas, disregard copyright and violate programming, advertising and other requirements or restrictions imposed by the law and/or the licence agreement.
 In many countries, funding for the regulatory bodies is insufficient and in some cases, governments are tempted to exert pressure on the regulatory authorities via the allocation of budgetary resources.
 In most, if not all, countries, there are inadequate financial resources for comprehensive monitoring of broadcasters’ programmes.
 Many regulatory bodies encounter problems related to the legal framework – lacking, inadequate or vaguely regulated supervisory and enforcement functions; lacking or inadequate enforcement powers, and inadequate powers of “delegated regulation”.
The seminar fully achieved its objective and it was considered by the participants to be of great benefit for their daily work. .The exchange of experience and the networking between them was also very important.

 

At the end of the seminar, the participants agreed on a number of written conclusions and recommendations for further action. This document, which will be widely distributed, should serve as a useful reference tool for the regulatory bodies, governments, parliamentarians and other relevant players throughout the region and beyond it. It also provides useful guidelines for future assistance activities in the individual countries and in the region as a whole. The Council of Europe is now considering publishing a seminar “package” that will include, in addition to the conclusions, the speeches, the country presentations and relevant Council of Europe documents.
In order to achieve sustainable results, this seminar has to be followed up by assistance activities in the individual countries of the region. These must aim at bringing the related legislation and practice into line with Council of Europe standards. It was also strongly recommended to organise another regional seminar of this kind next year, focusing on other problematic areas in the work of the broadcasting regulatory authorities.

 

Representatives of broadcasting regulatory bodies from the region

 

Mr Christophoros Christophorou, media and political analyst, former Director of the Radio and Television Authority of Cyprus
Dr Karol Jakubowicz, expert of the National Broadcasting Council of Poland, Vice-Chairperson of the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee on the Mass Media
Mr Petko Georgiev, IREX ProMedia, Bulgaria
Mr George Chirita, Executive Director, Romanian Association for Audiovisual Communication

 

Mr Alexander Vladychenko, Director, Directorate General of Human Rights
Mr Ivan Nikoltchev, Media Division
Ms Marina Lajoinie, Media Division