AGONY OF THE FORMER GIANT

State Radio-Television B&H Silently Withering Away

AIM Sarajevo, 10 July, 1997

Since a few days ago, inhabitants of Srebrenik and surrounding villages can neither watch nor hear the program of B&H Television. The reason for this should not be sought in petty-political games and intrigues, it is completely different by nature. Because of unpaid electricity bills, the local tv transmitter was shut down and the spectators were left without the picture. Similar examples can be expected to happen. The electric company in Visoko lodged an appeal and won the case in court against Radio-Television Bosnia & Herzegovina for the unpaid debt amounting to 360 thousand German marks. If the bill is not paid, it is quite possible that the main radio transmitter in Donji Mostar will be closed, too. These are illustrations of the situation in which state RTV is in and quite specific forebodings of what was until recently just talked about - slow closing down and disappearance of this still most influential media. About one thousand workers (there used to be 2200 of them before the war) have just received their small February salaries and it is completely uncertain when and whether at all they will received the next ones. Everything has changed, only the building has remained the same: the enormous edifice of 40 thousand square metres (or to make it clearer, one thousand apartments of 40 square metres each) constructed for the Olympic Games in 1984, around which the remaining workers roam reluctantly and indifferently, looking at the obsolete equipment.

Degradation of Program

Like situation, like program. In professional sense, it reached the lowest possible point, dominated by primitivism, nationalistic passions and self-deception. With rare honourable exceptions, of course. Uncritical wooing of a single nation (the Bosniacs) and a single party (the Party of Democratic Action) remains the moral blemish of this media which left a deep trace in the form of lost confidence in its truthfulness and objectivity. A part of the personnel who did not wish to accept such a situation left this media, and their places were taken by the "eligible and obedient", but since there are no more naive spectators either, other channels and programs were sought, and the income from subscription fees became symbolic. In fact only 10 per cent of prewar subcribers remained and 3 per cent of the former income. Two examples best illustrate the chaos in personnel policy: state television does not have its editor-in-chief for two years now, nor does it have a director. There are all kinds of absurdities in the editorial policy. Let us mention just a recent one: in its wish to prove its objectivity and neutrality, the management of RTV B&H decides to carry the assembly of citizens of Serb nationality live. A little later, a session of the Chamber of Representatives of the state parliament which adopted laws necessary for the so-called quick beginning, i.e. for creating conditions for convening the eagerly expected donors' conference. There was no live coverage. Without wishing to diminish the significance of the Assembly of citizens of Serb nationality, everyone in their right mind knows what is more urgent and what deserves greater attention of the media. But, it is impossible to expect reasonable behavior of passengers on board a sinking ship.

Nobody's Television

Even such as it, unfortunately, is, state television covers the best part of Bosnia & Herzegovina. Besides, it is the only one which has the official legitimacy in relation to international institutions. Almost the entire population living on the territory controlled by the Army of Bosnia & Herzegovina can watch the program coming from its studios, but also a large part of Republica Srpska and a comparatively small part of the territory of Herzeg Bosnia. Probably unaware that time is flowing in certain other directions, this media has preserved its attribute of being Radio and Television of Bosnia & Herzegovina. The name sounds fine, but it is not recognized by either Republica Srpska or Herzeg Bosnia. The Croat party in the Federation simply and openly ignores it, and there are even hints that an appeal will be lodged to deprive it of its international legitimacy and channels which belong to it accordingly. It does not exist on the list of budgetary beneficiaries, formally it does not belong to any party, it can pay nothing but water from its own income, and what follows after financial bankruptcy, everybody knows. It is interesting that nobody is too concerned about its destiny any more, the program is still somehow broadcast, and what will happen does not seem to be so important. In a wish to be somebody's, it has become nobody's...

The straw of Salvation

Contrary to the domestic, the international community showed more concern for the destiny of this institution, certainly out of conviction that state radio and television are one of the factors of preservation of Bosnia & Herzegovina as a united state. In this sense the experts of European Commission and European Institute for Media made two draft laws which regulate the status, the destiny and the future of this media. Nobody could have written a more acceptable text. In it, the state radio and television remain the only internationally recognized institution, it inherits the entire former property, television channels and radio networks. Its independence is warranted by the fact that it is not permitted to belong either to the assembly, or the government or any party, and financing is ensured through electricity bills. A radio and television station conceived in this way would have the attribute of federal, it would be founded by association of the cantons with which the income would be shared and it would be open to possible inclusion of the program of Republica Srpska.

Everything has ben beautifully put down on paper, and it was also said that the Bosniac and the Croat party needed to agree about the draft laws in order to start the parliamentary procedure so that it could be adopted by the beginning of September. But, 1 September is very near, and one can do nothing but thank the international community for its noble intentions and even greater naivety. Even when they leave here, they will not know who they were dealing with. Because, the Bosniac party does not take heed at all of the written draft laws on formation of the federal radio and television, and the Croat party does not care much about them either. And nothing to say about a possible agreement and introduction of the texts into the parliamentary procedure. The outcome is known, and the film seen so many times before.

Something else is also highly indicative. Except for a few people from the management, nobody in Radio and Television Bosnia & Herzegovina knows anything about these draft laws, not even representatives of the newly-established trade union. Everything is kept in strict confidence, and nobody seems to be reaching out for the offered straw of salvation. The few remaining employees are busy looking for another job for themselves. A long queue of workers waiting for lunch adds to the gloomy picture. Although there are no war actions any more a lot resembles 1992. Is it just a pure coincidence that in these dark days for RTV B&H, the symbol of the newly founded Television Ljiljan (Lily) is increasingly seen on the screens...

MLADEN PAUNOVIC