AdeJournal of MediaScripto in South Eastern Europe No 2, Winter 2005 15,- “Public is waking up” Country Focus Croatia Media Reports on all SEE countries deM edia inSouth Scripto aEstern uErope Independent Media? Ownership & Editorial Freedom in South-Eastern Europe www.deScripto.info published by the South East Europe Media Organisation - SEEMO deScripto Winter 2005 imprint ) c i l e Letter from Publisher D Letter from Editor n e d a deScripto l V ( Media in South Eastern Europe y h p Published quaterly a r Dear Readers, g Dear Readers, o t Contact o h p deScripto, Thomas A. Bauer First of all we are thank- The hardest job is n i Department of Media and Communi- a t i l decationM edia inSouth Scripto aScience,Estern uErope University of Vienna ful that there has been so behind us: we have already o p Schopenhauerstrasse 32, o m s r o A-1180 Vienna, Austria much international interest e published and distributed C u a - +43 1 4277 49336 B e . v i A the first issue of deScripto. [email protected] in deScripto, and we are t s c a e www.deScripto.info p m s r also grateful for the feed- o The first letters from rea- e h P T : Editor in Chief : o o t t o Thomas A. Bauer, back, of which there has o ders have now come to our h h P Professor, University of Vienna P Managing Editor been a lot, both supportive SEEMO office in Vienna, Axel Maireder and from what we see, deScripto was positively Tutor, University of Vienna and critical. Above all, we have learned that this [email protected] magazine can (and will) become a forum for media- accepted by media professionals, politicians, and Editorial Assistance Daniela Süssenbacher, Assistent, related issues in South East Europe, and among and regional experts, as well as by other, so-called “ordi- Univ. of Applied Sciences, Vienna Kristina Benkotic, SEEMO between the countries of that area, if we give voice to nary” readers in South Eastern Europe and outside Editorial Consultant the experts who live and work there. We have also of the region. Some of the letters provided useful Dardis McNamee Professor, Webster University Vienna discovered that a description (sic: deScripto!) of a general comments and feedback, as well as very use- Contributing Writers Stefan Apfl Wolfgang Luef complex media landscape needs a complex appro- ful remarks about concrete articles and book reviews Karla Bavoljak Ardalan Mahler Mazin Elfehaid Izvor Moralic ach, in order to know what and how to research. Last published in the first issue. For this I would like to Endri Fuga Roman thank those who took the time to send something Hannes Goegele Prysiazhniuk but not least, we have learned to trust in the analyti- Baki Haliti Petya Sabinova in. It helped us a lot in producing this second issue Mathias Huter Ana Simundza cal competence of professionals at hand. There is no Bronko Jovanovski Nillas Werklund need to neglect critical self-reflection. In that sense, of deScripto that you have in your hands now. Solmaz Khorsand Christoph Zotter Michael Ledl Ana Znidar we have learned to count even more on the experts Personally, I found two letters very important. Guest Writers Dimitris Charalambis and witnesses from the regions we are discussing as Not only because I received them from friends, but Correspondents partners in our mission. because they are from two people who know the Media Plan - Media Online, Sarajevo Graphic Design The Winter 2004/05 edition takes a deeper look situation in South Eastern Europe very well, but Axel Maireder, Art Direction have “a distance from the region”. The first is from Wolfgang Luef at the question of media ownership. Ownership Mathias Huter structures in South East European countries are – Dr. Gisela Rheker, former German Ambassador to Stefan Apfl Photos mostly due to the transition of media systems – in Belgrade and the second from Dr. Wolfgang Cover: Lisa-Marie Gotsche Other: If not stated otherwise, vigorous motion, though foreign investments also Petritsch, former Austrian Ambassador to Belgrade by the editors and later part of the EU Special Envoy for Kosovo, Proof Reading play a big role in this dynamism. These foreign Maureen MacNeill investors force national and regional markets to con- EU chief negotiator at the Kosovo peace talks in Advertising Contact Thomas A. Bauer front new options and market possibilities, with new Rambouillet and Paris, and High Representative for [email protected] +43 1 4277 49 336 trends in media concentration a certain outcome. Bosnia and Herzegovina. Why are these letters so Publisher This will have different and sometimes hard conse- important? Both ambassadors have spent a part of SEEMO - South East Europe Media Organisation, Oliver Vujovic quences for small and big national players alike. their life in South East Europe. And both are now Spiegelgasse 2, 1010 Vienna, Austria [email protected]; +431 5133940 The country focus of this edition concentrates on outside the region. Dr. Rheker is in Germany and SEEMO is as an affiliate of the Croatia, which is – since being invited to start nego- still very active in varying institutions, while Dr. IPI - The International Press Institute Spiegelgasse 2, 1010 Vienna, Austria tiations leading to European integration – as a whole Petritsch is Austria's ambassador to the United Nat- Publisher’s Board Remzi Lani - Tirana very much in motion. There are big challenges to ions in Geneva. However, both are still interested in Radomir Licina - Belgrade Samra Luckin - Sarajevo overcome during this partnership transition between South East European developments. They have not Stjepan Malovic - Zagreb forgotten the region. That gives me optimism that Georgios Papadakis - Athens politics, media, public institutions, and organisa- Risto Popovski - Skopje South East Europe has not been forgotten in gene- Ognian Zlatev - Sofia tions of civil society. It gives an overview of what is Printed by going on in Croatia’s media landscape. I hope you ral. That's important not only for the future of the Dan Graf d.o.o., Belgrade in coopera- tion with Standard 2, Belgrade will gain further insight with this issue, and that it region, but for the future of Europe as a whole! Subscription encourages even more interest in media-related Herewith, I would like to express my sincere gra- Standard: e 24,- /year Students: e 12,- /year discourse. With best wishes, titude to all readers of deScripto who sent us letters order by • email: [email protected] and again encourage further feedback, comments • Fax: +43 1 4277 48344 Thomas A. Bauer, Editor-in-Chief and suggestions. They should be sent to our Mission Statement deScripto is committed to the enhance- University of Vienna SEEMO office in Vienna (by e-mail to: ment of a climate of critical reflection on media culture and communication, [email protected] or to SEEMO-IPI, Spiegel- in and among the SEE countries. Published quarterly as a joint project of gasse 2/29, 1010 Vienna, Austria). Your remarks will the University of Vienna, the University of Applied Sciences Vienna and the be of assistance in preparing the next issue of Webster University Vienna under the deScripto. auspices of the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), deScripto is an independent journal of analysis and opinion dedicated to the democrat- Oliver Vujovic, Publisher isation of the media and the develop- ment of civic society in the SEE Region. South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) The views expressed in deScripto are entirely those of the authors and do not represent the positions of SEEMO/IPI. 2 deScripto Winter 2005 deScripto Winter 2005 Table of Contents Dossier Ownership & (In)dependence 4 South-Eastern Europe Media Reports 27 Two Schools of Thought 4 “Think Negative” or Panic Journalism 27 Ownership & (In)dependence Media Report Albania by Thomas A. Bauer Closer to the Truth 28 Young Markets, Old Problems 5 by Stefan Apfl and Mathias Huter Media Report Bosnia and Herzegovina Aqiring a Mind-Blowing Market 8 Archaic Laws Tamper 29 The german Media Company WAZ and their domi- With Press Freedom nant Role in South-Eastern Europe Media Report Bulgaria by Wolfgang Luef Foreign Ownership in SEE Region 11 2000 Years in Prison? 30 Money makes the World go round! An Overview Media Report Cyprus Dossier Ownership from page 5 by Daniela Süssenbacher Fighting for Fainess 31 The Step Back to Etatism 12 Media Report Greece Media Ownership in Greece by Dimitris Charalmbis Big Players in a Small Market 33 Media Report Hungary Optional Accessory 14 Just a Footnote in the Media Jungle: Media concumption decreasing 34 Editorial Independence Media Report Kosovo by Solmaz Khorsand Corporate Pressure 15 Struggle for Survival 35 Non-Media Corporations Media Report Macedonia Owning Media in Albania by Endri Fuga Problems to be Solved 36 Media Report Moldova Aquiring a mind-blowing market, WAZ A Question of Transparency 16 Group expands to SEE. page 8 Public Broadcasting in Transition - Waiting for the Last Man Standing 37 Editorial Independence in Romanian Media Report Montenegro and Slovenian Public Channels by Hannes Goegele Dissensions in a Battlesome Paper 38 Media Report Romania Country Focus Croatia 18 A Question of Honour 39 Challenged Monopoly 18 Media Report Serbia Croatia Marks the Start of a New Television Era With the Surfacing of RTL 40 by Karla Bavoljak and Izvor Moralic Journalists’ Silence marks the National Parliamentary Election Day 22 “Public is waking up” Media Report Slovenia Professor Stepjan Malovic on the Croatian Media Market an it’s Problems A Means to an End: Press Law as 41 by Thomas A. Bauer the Golden Key to Open EU Doors Country Focus Croatia from page 18 Media Report Turkey A Loss of Respect 24 Media Education in Croatia by Karla Bavoljak SEEMO Reports 42 New Willingness Required 25 Protest Letters 43 Pending EU Membership Brings International Activity Report 44 Media Standrds by Karla Bavoljak deScripto’s Review 46 Literature, Edu Programmes deScripto’s Preview 50 Upcoming Events deScripto Winter 2005 3 Dossier Ownership & (In)dependence deScripto Dossier: Ownership & (In)Depencence Two Schools of Thought Europeanisation brings new dynamics into the media landscape of young democracies in South East Europe.