Slovenia

[SI] Revision of Media Legislation

IRIS 1998-6:1/27

Matjaz Gerl

Slovenian Broadcasting Council

Following the governmental programme of alignment of Slovene legislation with EC Law, the Broadcasting Council of the Republic of Slovenia and the Ministry of Culture prepared a revision to current media legislation. A bill to this extent is expected to be submitted to Parliament before summer. It will follow the provisions of the revised Television without Frontieres Directive. In addition, having gained practical experience with the present legislation, the Broadcasting Council suggested major changes in areas which are not covered by the revised Directive. A number of non-commercial local broadcasters had been established under the socialist system to complement the public service mission of the broadcasting system as a whole. With the new legal system they were privatised but they continued to broadcast local programming on a noncommercial basis, due to good technical infrastructure and experienced staff. Some stricter programme quotas concerning local non-commercial programming is now proposed by the Council. To finance this, the Council is trying to find some additional sources of financing or tax relaxation.

As regards commercial broadcasters, the Council proposes to raise the required minimum level of a broadcaster's independent production from the current ten percent to twenty. They will also be under the obligation to broadcast at least ten percent of informational, educational or cultural programmes.