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The OBN Update is a brief newsletter which aims to provide all those interested with a snapshot of developments in the Open Broadcast Network.
- A significant development in the growth of the Open Broadcast Network (OBN) occurred on 6 May 1997 when an agreement was signed with the Sarajevo station "TV X" to broadcast the Network's full programme output in the Sarajevo area. The agreement, which came into effect on 7 May, gives the inhabitants of Sarajevo the opportunity to view the six-hour-long programme schedule in its entirety. Previously, the daily news and current affairs strand "TV INFO" was carried in Sarajevo by another local broadcaster, TV Hayat. The OBN continues to pursue plans to extend its coverage of BiH, both in the Federation and in the RS, and a number of similar arrangements are being discussed with other potential affiliates.
- The Steering Committee of the Open Broadcast Network (OBN), chaired by the OHR and comprising representatives from the European Commission, the US, the UK and Sweden, met at OHR Brussels to discuss the latest developments relating to the Network. The Steering Committee was given a comprehensive progress report by OBN Operations Director, Mike Challenger whose exhaustive presentation covered financial, personnel, programming and technical aspects of the project.
Challenger highlighted the drive to legitimise the OBN turning it into an employer, trading organisation and broadcaster in both entities in BiH. On this front, developments include renewing all contracts with the numerous OBN service suppliers, establishing the new bank acccount in Sarajevo, developing new agreements with the Network's affiliate stations and streamlining personnel at the Sarajevo hub where staff numbers were halved, new talent taken on and contracts issued. Another relevant development welcomed by all present was that the OBN has now generated its first marketing-based revenues following the extended coverage of the Sarajevo area through TV X.
Donors expressed their continuing support for the project and confirmed their solid support for Stage Two. There will need to be some re-configuring of the budget to take account of the withdrawal of the Open Society Institute (Soros) from the project. But since some elements in the original plan needed to be revised in any case, this is not expected to raise particular problems.
- A welcome addition to the OBN staff at the Sarajevo hub has been that of Lejla -Sirbubalo-Simon, in charge of public relations. The impact of this addition is already being felt with a greater presence for the OBN in the local press and the emergence of a PR strategy, an area which was previously inadequately addressed.
- In accordance with Steering Committee-set tasks and deadlines established during its meeting in Sarajevo last month, a selection board has been set up to recruit a long-term CEO and Programming Director for the Network. The board, which is composed of Hamza Baksic (Oslobodjenje & IWPR), Zoran Uvdovicic (Mediaplan) and Perica Vucinic (AIM & Reporter magazine in Banja Luka) - three of the most senior and seasoned media players in BiH - is looking at the applications submitted for these posts but is in agreement that the decision to be made is a crucial one and that it must not be rushed. The selection board also enjoys the advisory support of John Ross-Barnard, the new European Commission media expert in Sarajevo.
- Following the expansion of coverage in the Sarajevo region, contacts were established, in most cases at the instigation of the broadcasters themselves, with a number of local stations in both the RS and the Federation. These include Gorazde, Banovici (which is reported to have already pirated some OBN programming!), Srebrenik, Bijeljina, Doboj and Skelani. Intial meetings with most of the above have taken place and decisions to go into arrangements with some of these stations will be addressed shortly.
Similarly, a proposal to help establish a new independent TV station in Brcko which would later join the Network as a regional affiliate is being examined. The OBN is expected to be in a position to provide the necessary technical elements to establish such a broadcaster as a sister operation to a radio station currently being established through SFOR.
- As a result of the OBN's extended coverage of BiH territories, the Network is generating more advertising opportunities. A couple of advertising agencies have approached the Network seeking to sell advertising based on the OBN's national coverage. Although a modest start by international standards, it is projected that the initial daily block of 10 minutes of advertising will generate around DM 3.000 per day.
- The significance and impact of OBN's cross-Entity approach becomes more and more apparent as it continues to be the only outlet for people with important messages and worthwhile programmiing but with no access to the state broadcasters. In its editorial of 15 May, the daily Oslobodjenje quoted a number of displaced persons in the RS who had appeared on the Network's refugee programme "The Return" expressing their desire to go back to the towns and villages they left behind in the Federation, opinions they would not have had the chance to relay via the state-controlled media.
- The process of the local legitimisation of the various OBN operations, which is being successfully completed in Sarajevo is now also encompassing the Banja Luka OBN partner station, ATV. On 15 and 16 May, a delegation from ATV and OHR visited the three relevant RS ministries in Pale - Ministry for Foreign Trade, Information Ministry, and the Ministry for Telecommunication, meeting with the top officials in each. All three Ministers welcomed the drive to legitimise the various segments of the project in accordance with the laws of the two Entities and expressed their support for the OBN project.
The OBN Project Assistance Team Tel. 387 71 460 536 Fax 387 71 460 534
Office of the High Representative Public Affairs Office Tel. 387 71 447 275 Fax 387 71 447 420
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