Geneva, 18 February 2010 - The European Broadcasting Union* said today the situation of public service broadcasting in Bosnia-Herzegovina is deteriorating dangerously. It called on the country’s Parliamentarians to implement a recent media law and said Bosnia-Herzegovina could be isolated from the rest of Europe because of delays in digitalization.“A media law in line with European standards came into force on 8 January 2006,” EBU Director General Ingrid Deltenre said in a letter to both Houses of Parliament, copied to the joint Presidency and the Prime Minister. “Unfortunately it has not been implemented and is still being obstructed. This is very damaging to public broadcasting in your country, to the interests of your citizens, and to Bosnia-Herzegovina's ambitions to join mainstream Europe.”

Ms Deltenre also said that viewers in Bosnia-Herzegovina would be denied access to the Eurovision Song Contest and to the World Cup if the EBU’s Member in Bosnia-Herzegovina does not begin making substantial repayments of its debt to the Union over the coming months.

Note to Editors:

* The Geneva-based EBU represents Members (125 national broadcasters) and promotes the values and distinctiveness of public service media in Europe and around the world. It transmits news, sports, events and music over the Eurovision and Euroradio networks, develops and shares best practices, media expertise and innovation, and produces and exchanges rich and diverse programmes across all media.
For more information about the EBU: www.ebu.ch