The Council of the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services encourages illegal advertising of the Europe Now Movement (PES) on Radio Television of Montenegro (RTCG), the Media Center announced today.
"The majority of the members of the Council of the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services changed the first instance decision of the director of this agency regarding the illegal advertising of the ruling party PES on TVCG. The members of the Council of the Agency for AVM Services are: Branko Bošković (president), Milan Radović and Edin Koljenović, who accepted RTCG's appeal to the director's first-instance decision, sent a message to the political parties in power that their illegal advertising on TVCG is allowed and welcome. Also, the consequence of this decision of the majority of Council members is that the Agency cannot sanction RTCG for illegal advertising of political parties", it is emphasized in Media Center announcement signed by Goran Đurović, director.
The Media Center added that they submitted a complaint to the Agency for AVM Services about the report broadcast on June 22 of this year in Dnevnik 2 TVCG.
"In the central news program of TVCG, an extensive report (4 minutes) was published from the meeting of the Europe Now Movement, at which the committee of this parliamentary party for Podgorica was founded. The report included parts of the speech of the president of that party, Milojko Spajić, who currently serves as the Prime Minister of Montenegro , the president of the newly formed party committee, Saša Mujović, who is the current minister of energy and mining, and the party leader and current mayor of Podgorica, Olivera Injac. and which was used to present various political messages of party officials (headed by Prime Minister Milojko Spajić) is illegal advertising because other political actors are not allowed to express themselves in relation to the issues of the Europe Now 4 program (which is presented and promoted in the attachment), but only one subject is allowed to express his views in relation to a topic that is a secondary part of the report," the press release of the media center points out.
From that non-governmental organization (NGO), they said that this type of reporting from the party meeting, in their opinion, represents a deviation from the Program Production Plan of RTCG for 2024 and a violation of the Rulebook on Program Principles and Professional Standards of RTCG.
They said that the deviation is reflected in the fact that this type of reporting from party gatherings cannot be subsumed under professional and balanced reporting, as announced and promised in the part of the Program and Production Plan related to TVCG.
"Reporting of this type does not fit into any of the objectives stated in the Rulebook on program principles and professional standards of RTCG, which reads: 'timely, comprehensive, objective, balanced and credible processing of events in Montenegro, the region and beyond, supporting a fair and constructive dialogue At the local, regional and national level', it is also stated in the aforementioned Rulebook that, based on Article 51 of the Law on the Election of Councilors and Members of Parliament, 'political propaganda is not allowed in RTCG programs, except during the pre-election campaign' , even if it was one of the ruling parties, does not belong in objective and balanced reporting, but in providing space for party propaganda at a time when there are no pre-election campaigns," the Media Center statement reads.
They state that according to Article 67 of the Law on Audiovisual Media Services, advertising means the broadcasting of any form of notification of a certain legal or physical person for a certain fee or for self-promotion, which aims to present and draw attention to a specific product or service of that legal or physical person , including real estate, rights and obligations, that is, which aims to motivate consumers to use, that is, buy that product or service, with financial compensation.
"Article 68 of the same law prescribes, 'disguised and fraudulent commercial audiovisual communications are prohibited'. Article 82 of the law on AVM services prescribes in paragraph 1 and 3: 'Political advertising is advertising, with or without financial compensation, which recommends activities, ideas or the positions of the applicant of the confirmed electoral list or candidate during the election or referendum campaign, in accordance with special rules. Unless otherwise prescribed, the provisions of this law relating to advertising shall be applied accordingly. The content in question belongs to covert commercial audiovisual communications and represents covert advertising (advertising) of a political entity," the Media Center said.
The NGO said that the competent service and the director of the Agency for AVM Services accepted Media Center's complaint, but that the Council accepted RTCG's appeal against the first-instance decision by a majority of votes (3 votes-for, 1-against, 1-abstention).
"Broadcasting a 4-minute program, the main reason for which was the establishment of the municipal committee of the ruling PES party in Podgorica, and which was used to present various political messages from party officials (headed by Prime Minister Milojko Spajić), is illegal advertising because it is not allowed for other political actors to express themselves in relation to the issues of the Europe Now 2 program (which is presented and promoted in the attachment), but only one subject is allowed to communicate his views in relation to the topic which is a secondary part of the attachment," said the Media Center.
They added that according to the logic and opinion of the majority of the Council members of the Agency for AVM Services (which has five members), now on TVCG in Dnevnik, contributions from all meetings of the PES concerning the establishment of Oštinian committees can be broadcast, and the contributions can continue ten minutes, if the editors want it, while conveying political views that have nothing to do with the occasion of the contribution, i.e. with what is considered news, which is the establishment of a municipal committee of one of the political parties.
"The special question is whether the establishment of a municipal committee of a political party is news that deserves to be found in Dnevnik 2. Three members of the Council of the Agency for AVM Services: Branko Bošković (president), Milan Radović and Edin Koljenović believe that there is nothing controversial that 4 minutes in Dnevnik 2 broadcast the prime minister's views on the program Europe Now 2 without giving the opportunity to hear the opinion of opposition parties or independent experts they see the visual features of the parties, that the contributions last ten minutes and that the justification is sought in the importance of the topics being conveyed and editorial freedom," the announcement reads.
The Media Center said that professional standards are regulated by the RTCG Rulebook and the law, so that public media services are not used as megaphones of political parties.
"When the DPS had the same practice not so long ago and when TVCG was used for the promotion of a political entity, part of those who exercise power today were disgusted and very critical of TVCG. The media center reacted equally to the abuses of TVCG even while DPS was in power "Back then, the opposition supported our objections and criticisms. Today, from the position of the government, they defend themselves by remaining silent," said the Media Center.
According to them, this case leads to the conclusion that the Council of the Agency for AVM Services is under the political control of the authorities.
"Branko Bošković (President of the Council) is a candidate for ambassador to Spain from the PES quota, Milan Radović is a director in the Civic Alliance, and Edin Koljenović is a former employee of the Civic Alliance, the NGO base of the illegal director general of RTCG Boris Raonic. We believe that the vote the current majority in the Council for AVM services is only part of Boris Raonic's trade with Milojko Spajić (PES), Andrija Mandić (NSD) and Milan Knežević (DNP). In order to get the support of the politically controlled RTCG Council for a third illegal mandate, Boris Raonic is key put his influence over Milanon Radović and Edin Koljenović, to whom he was a director in the Civic Alliance, at the disposal of the power holders," the Media Center said.
They also said that the candidate for general director of the national public media service during the 2021 elections, Nikola Marković, recently confirmed that the RTCG Council is politically controlled.
The Media Center said that Marković announced that on the eve of the RTCG director general election, he was invited by one of today's key power holders and offered to be elected with the obligation to agree with the authorities on immigration policy and personnel solutions.
"Regardless of whether the conversation with Nikola Marković was conducted by Andrija Mandić or Milan Knežević, it is clear that RTCG is under political influence, and this case with the vote in the Council of the Agency for AVM Services clearly indicates that this institution is also under political influence All the facts we point out explain the silence of the President of the Parliament of Montenegro Andrija Mandić and the President of the Administrative Committee in the Parliament of Montenegro Jelena Nedović (PES), who do not want to announce the election of a new member of the Council for AVM Services, even though the legal deadlines for this are passed two months ago. Obviously, the composition of the Council for AVM Services suits the parliamentary majority, which is ready to uncompromisingly protect the interests of the parties in power," concludes the Media Center announcement.
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