Text of report by Slovak newspaper Sme website on 31 August
[CTK report: “Slovak Radio Is Dispelling Concerns”]
The management of Slovak Radio stated that it would maintain its Hungarian-language broadcasts even after the streamlining measures. Slovak Radio described the concerns about broadcasts for ethnic minorities being abolished, voiced by the Hungarian Coalition Party [SMK; MKP in Hungarian] on Tuesday [ 28 August], as unnecessarily dramatizing the situation.
“The Slovak Radio management will not let the unfavourable financial situation affect the quality and the extent of broadcasts for ethnic minorities,” reads a statement issued by Lubos Machaj, director of Slovak Radio’s Programme Section.
The radio station will reportedly stop its broadcasts for ethnic minorities on the medium-wave Radio Patria channel, because it has not received a subsidy from the state, to which it is legally entitled, according to the management. Slovak Radio broadcasts its other programmes on short waves.
The SMK is afraid that the Constitution and international treaties will be violated. “The Slovak Radio management would instead welcome a constructive dialogue about the current situation and the future of ethnic broadcasting, which none of the representatives of ethnic minorities has yet initiated,” wrote Machaj.
(Source: Sme website, Bratislava, in Slovak 31 Aug 07 via BBC Monitoring/ R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)
[CTK report: “Slovak Radio Is Dispelling Concerns”]
The management of Slovak Radio stated that it would maintain its Hungarian-language broadcasts even after the streamlining measures. Slovak Radio described the concerns about broadcasts for ethnic minorities being abolished, voiced by the Hungarian Coalition Party [SMK; MKP in Hungarian] on Tuesday [ 28 August], as unnecessarily dramatizing the situation.
“The Slovak Radio management will not let the unfavourable financial situation affect the quality and the extent of broadcasts for ethnic minorities,” reads a statement issued by Lubos Machaj, director of Slovak Radio’s Programme Section.
The radio station will reportedly stop its broadcasts for ethnic minorities on the medium-wave Radio Patria channel, because it has not received a subsidy from the state, to which it is legally entitled, according to the management. Slovak Radio broadcasts its other programmes on short waves.
The SMK is afraid that the Constitution and international treaties will be violated. “The Slovak Radio management would instead welcome a constructive dialogue about the current situation and the future of ethnic broadcasting, which none of the representatives of ethnic minorities has yet initiated,” wrote Machaj.
(Source: Sme website, Bratislava, in Slovak 31 Aug 07 via BBC Monitoring/ R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)
