Transformation of TV in B&H

Political Soap-Opera

AIM Sarajevo, October 16, 2000

In the last but one and who knows which part of the hardly watched but greatly discussed marathon soap-opera serial titled “How to Reconstruct B&H Television” in which triplets should finally be born although of hardly identifiable parents but with in advance dictated names – PBS, RTV FB&H and RT RS – the plot has reached its climax. The last part will probably also be broadcast soon. High Representative of international community is expected to proclaim the Decision on Reconstruction of Public RTV System in B&H which should, in fact, mark the beginning of a long and tedious process of depoliticisation and professionalisation of the TV system demolished by the war in this country. This should at the same time put an end to various public and concealed games which are not illogical in view of the struggle for domination over TV screens, that is, for decisive prevalence over voters of this country.

In the days when much more serious matters, like for instance, “new Belgrade democracy”, are starting to resemble an international farce – the story of reconstruction of B&H Television can be told in an extremely or at least considerably cynical manner. It contains everything that continuation of the struggle for power by all means implies, and it is taking place in an ambience which justifies calling it a “political soap opera”. Indeed, at one of the recent meetings of B&H Federal RTV Council, Englishman John Shearer, the man who was in charge of drawing up the paper on reconstruction, said that one of the future tasks of federal television station would be production of “local soap operas”. The first seems to have already been produced although with no intention to do it.

In the background of drawing up the paper which should determine the future of television in B&H (whatever different protagonists meant by it) various political, economic, ethnic, individual, group, (un)professional, foreign, local, trade unionist and who knows what interests clashed, which were to the last moment spoken of in parabolic language, by mimic, pantomime, fingers, winking, but least of all – honestly, openly and precisely. However, the secret of the story on transformation of RTV system in B&H is nothing God knows how complicated and it can easily be demystified. It is a completely different issue why local owners of many other secrets in the public life of Bosnia & Herzegovina do not wish to do it. For the content of what follows in the process of making a professional TV system in B&H, however, it is important to know how thing proceeded in order to make it easier to recognise the meaning of the Decision which is about to be made public, but also the meaning of resistance to this decision.

So let us go from the beginning: after the so-called political leadership of this state, Presidency inclusive, approved that preparations should be made for a paper for transformation of RTV system in B&H, local people either did not want to or did not dare do it (it would have been necessary to agree on many things, which people over here are not very good at). The High Representative then took over the obligation to get it done, and the already mentioned John Shearer, an old-timer from the famous BBC, was called to help. The Englishman had a big problem to make the whole matter possible, self-sustainable, resistant to political pressure, professional, compatible with European TV trends, and feasible from the aspect of the law which serves here just in order to be violated. Above all, the final product should somehow be adapted to new political reality created by the capital decision of the Constitutional Court on constitutiveness of all three peoples in B&H, which makes the Dayton platform absurd on the basis of which the process of reorganisation of TV in B&H had started. In other words, the initial plan for two powerful and completely separate entity TV stations and quite minor central Public Broadcast Service of B&H (PBS), with the Federal TV in which two channels should have been exclusively ethnic by language and cadre – began dangerously to incline towards the past. The future is obviously more inclined towards strengthening of PBS and giving other dimensions to entity television stations. This, of course, did not mean that obsolescent B&H politicians who are still the present of B&H did not like this plan from the past. As soon as members of B&H Presidency realised that PBS would overpower the limits and the logic of the entities they had shed so much other people's blood for and that due to it editorial policy would be conceived outside their domains they have total control of, an open and ruthless war began against the Office of High Representative as the head of the project and John Shearer as the identified culprit for the “delay of the project”. To be honest, by acting without having consulted members of the Council of PBS and B&H Federal TV the latter did cause unnecessary nervousness and to the spokesman of the all at once united Presidency gave an excuse to initiate a public hue and cry against the foreseen concept of reconstruction. The attack was carried out under the pretext of alleged presidential anger because of the delay of the project. However, the delay was not at all that important (after all, what right do local politicians have to even mention delay of anything when this country is under their rule lagging behind itself, not to compare it with others, for at least half a century). They were panic-stricken because of the concept of a public, modern and depoliticised TV station.

At the same time, OHR and Mr. Shearer made a mistake customary for many in the so-called international community. They issued a routine information to members of the Council of B&H Federal TV that everything done until then on reorganisation of TV was no good and in curt ten sentences explained the essence of the Decision which had already been prepared and which would be publicly “stated in two days” by High Representative. Such way of handling things, and not the proposed concept, caused alarm and bitterness even. Members of the Council started from the fact that High Representative could either include the Council in the serious job of decision-making or do whatever he pleased on his own, without consulting members of the Council who would in that case submit collective resignation because in such a situation they were simply not needed. The announced resignation of the Council, is not at all connected with the already prepared document on transformation, but solely with the treatment which is unacceptable for the men of dignity. In the Presidency they are using this gesture in their own way triumphantly claiming that the Presidency and the Council have the same stand, united against John Shearer and his concept. Certain media which are close to the regime also react in this sense. However, this simply is not true. In the manner of a wise politician, having learnt about the announced collective resignation, High Representative introduced the Council in the process in a grand manner. Proclamation of the Decision was abolished, the Decision was submitted to the members of the Council for inspection, so that the whole process is subjected to strict re-examination and coordination, with all the interested parties showing much patience, mutual respect and constructiveness.

In the new Draft Decision almost all remarks of Council of Federal TV and representatives of PBS Council have been taken into account. The essential demands have become their common demands – the whole job should be done in accordance with the new times and decisions of the Constitutional Court, and PBS has become the backbone of the public RTV system in B&H the parts of which are also RTV of B&H Federation and RT of RS. Internal organisation of the system has been made so that it fits in the modern European trends relying on the project of development of B&H as a modern, democratic, multi-ethnic community. The role of the agent of High Representative is given adequate proportions, respecting the stand that the key role and the final word concerning personnel policy, property and ownership and programme issues must be given to the – Council of TV. The agent's main job is to take care that the system functions. Behind this main stand there is, of course, a whole series of decisions that representatives of OHR and B&H F TV have made, item by item. Thanks to the patience of the people from the Council, to political wisdom of High Representative, and finally to cooperativeness of his associates working on this job, the story has been brought to its end which actually marks the new beginning.

By the decision which will soon be proclaimed by Volfgang Petritsch many will – individually and collectively – be affected, but it is without doubt in the longterm on the track of a different future for Bosnia & Herzegovina which many are rightfully afraid of and will do their best to at least slow down its arrival. Therefore it should not surprise that they tried to make it just a – bad soap opera.

Zlatko DIZDAREVIC

(AIM Sarajevo)