Czech Radio Represented in Another of the EBU’s Top Bodies
Czech Radio has had another of its representatives appointed to one of the regulatory bodies of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Helena Havlíková, Czech Radio’s media law expert, has become a member of the EBU’s Legal & Policy Committee. One of the Committee’s key tasks is to act as an advocate for public service media in Europe, and especially in EU countries.
Czech Radio’s Deputy Director General for Programme and Broadcasting, René Zavoral, says: “Our membership in the EBU’s top bodies is not only a matter of prestige but should also be regarded as a confirmation of the strategic position of Czech Radio alongside other prominent European public broadcasters. With approximately a dozen of our employees engaged in the EBU’s radio broadcasting regulatory bodies, we now rank among the most active members in the EBU’s radio division.”
The EBU’s Legal & Policy Committee focuses primarily on legal aspects with regard to the operation of public service broadcasters across Europe by analysing their goals and missions and policies for further development. Current hot topics for discussion most notably include the accessibility of the public service media to citizens across a whole range of technological platforms, independence and objectivity, the focus on minorities, copyright issues, and the degree to which public service broadcasters should be regulated. The Committee is led by Peter Weber, Head of the Law Department at ZDF (Germany), and also includes lawyers from RAI (Italy), the BBC (UK), ÖRF (Austria), and other representatives of the public service media operating in Poland, France, Norway and Sweden.
Czech Radio’s participation in the prestigious Radio Committee of the EBU – through the appointment of Deputy Director General for Programme and Broadcasting, René Zavoral, as one of its members – is considered of special strategic importance. Serving as the main statutory body for European public service broadcasters, the EBU’s Radio Committee is made up of 14 members charged with the responsibility of making decisions on priorities in the field of radio broadcasting in Europe. At the same time, its members formulate common positions on behalf of public service broadcasters in relation to legislation, copyright issues associated with music production, digital broadcasting, while also supporting the development of radio broadcasting among the EBU’s member countries.
Jiří Hošna
Czech Radio’s Spokesperson
Tel: 725 793 397
E-mail: jiri.hosna@rozhlas.cz