Director of IRS: Unacceptable to close down programs in six languages

July 14, 2009 The contract proposed by the Ministry of Culture to International Radio of Serbia (Radio Yugoslavia), which envisages closing down of programs in six foreign languages is not acceptable, said Director of our radio Milena Jokic. Jokic, who resigned a month ago because of an inadequate attitude of the towards the radio, said that the proposed contract has a number of legal shortcomings, and that closing down of those programs does not save anything, because it would only close down ten jobs, and left the entire infrastructure. It showed that the program in the Arabic language has a strong foothold in the Arab countries, so that it would practically mean the end of one important channel of communication. Now, when the strategic battle is underway for Kosovo and our position in the world, the closing down of office for the Arabic language would inflict the great political damage because a large number of Arab countries has not recognized Kosovo, said Jokic. She reminded that a large number of young people of the Serbian origin who were born abroad do not speak Serbian, which is why, as she stated, it is very important to enable further broadcasting of programs in French, German, Hungarian, Italian and Greek. Jokic confirmed that nobody from International Radio of Serbia was consulted when the contract was drafted. She expressed belief that instead of closing down the programs, the Ministry of Culture will offer a provisional contract on  the financing of our Radio by the end of the year, after which another solution for savings would be found. The proposal of the Ministry envisages closing down of programs in French, German, Hungarian, Italian and Greek, while those in English, Russian, Chinese, Albanian and Spanish would remain. As stated, the Ministry of Culture made the proposal in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Radio Yugoslavia is funded from the budget. Source: Radio Serbia http://www.glassrbije.org/E/ via Yimber Gaviria, Noticias de la Radio http://yimber-gaviria.blogspot.com