DNEVNI AVAZ
Rumours are trying to destabilise the whole process
The programme of the public BH television will start in spring
Management issue, not political one
John Shearer on establishment of Public Broadcasting System in BiH
To those who claimed that the establishment of the Public Broadcasting System BiH was written off, and that it shall be worked on the establishment of the Federation TV only, another evidence has appeared in the form of internal vacancy notice on the BHT advert board for employees to join the Fed TV was presented.
PBS is not mentioned in that notice.
We did check with Mr. John Shearer, who is the principal person of transformation process, the accuracy of the claim that in this moment there will be nothing of establishment of TV PBSBiH as state, public station.
Managerial task
“Some people in this city are trying to destabilise this process, and therefore are spreading rumours. Establishment of PBS is going well. The PBS radio has been established. PBS is not TV station only, it is entire system. Transitional Management, i.e. group of Bosnian managers is managing the transformation of the station. Technical resources of the former station are becoming one department, organisation of PBS and music ganisation of PBS and music production archive is almost done. Soon, the advert for new director shall be open. At the same time we are working on establishment of Fed TV” – Shearer denies the statement on disregarding the PBS.
Shearer said that he hopes that the Fed TV will be launched this autumn, and setting up the television should do the process of establishment of entire PBS in spring next year.
“The PBS Founding Board, which is the Governing Body, shall start in August with the process of editorial and technical planning of PBS TV. We need a business plan as well. This is too big managerial task to be done at once. And when we have PBS, at least one year will be needed to connect the system. The problem is that everyone considers this as a political problem, but this is just a management issue” – thinks Shearer.
The project is going well
After we came to conclusion that after one year of his stay in BHT there is no improvement, Shearer said that television and radio could not be established by using a “magical wand”.
“I was a consultant for the first seven months, and that period I did spend writing the High Representativeąs Second Decision on BHT transformation. I did consult several groups like the PBS Founding Board, Fed TV Council, Trade Union and the international community. Then, I was asked to stay and help with the implementation, and that d that it is what I am doing for six-seven months. For that period we launched two radio stations, we have the new Board, we almost have the most of the PBS departments and the project that goes well towards its goal. If you try to do something like this anywhere in the world, you would need two years minimum. Even in places where all other things are functioning. Actually, you are trying to change the way of thinking and working habits of people who are working in one way for 20 years” – said Shearer.
Modest start
“PBS shall unfortunately start in a modest way. You will have news, some programmes that will be done in the entire state, EBU material, sports, programme like “coca cola kino”, foreign series. Some kind of PBS programme shall exist, modest in beggining, and probably bigger afterwards, and lots of things are depending on political situation. I do believe in PBS, I think that each European nation should have one public station that produce genuine news, good information and good fun for all people in that country. I am here because of that belief. If it is going to be used in a proper way, that should become the place for resolving problems.”-thinks Shearer.