International Campaign Launched to Support Independent Media in Yugoslavia

April 2,1999 — As NATO’s crushing air strikes commenced across Yugoslavia, the state of emergency declared by President Slobodan Milosevic began to bite hard for residents of the stricken country. Even before the first missiles were deployed, Yugoslavia’s most important independent media entity, radio station B92, was closed. On the night of 24.3.99, Radio B92’s Belgrade transmitter was confiscated by the Serbian authorities. B92’s editor-in-chief, Veran Matic, was arrested and held in custody for over 8 hours.

In response to these extraordinary events, an international support group, comprising writers, activists and media practitioners from across Europe and around the world, has been founded to stage a campaign to help B92 continue to provide news updates about the situation in Yugoslavia as it develops.

The campaign is centred in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, through the internet service provider, XS4ALL and the cultural organisation, De Balie. With the assistance of internet provider XS4ALL, B92 has broadcast its radio programs on the internet since December 1996. These digital broadcasts are picked up by the BBC World Service and retransmitted via satellite. Through a network of local radio stations, the programs of B92 can be heard throughout Serbia. Despite repeated attempts by the authorities to silence the station, this method has ensured that B92 has been able to provide up-to-date news about developments within Yugoslavia to many media entities across the country. The support of XS4ALL has ensured that, in spite of Yugoslavia’s repressive information laws, B92 has been able remain operative.

Despite this support, the current crisis situation in Yugoslavia means that the possibilities of B92 continuing its independent news service will be limited even further. The recently founded support group intends to take measures to distribute news by and about B92, from Amsterdam. For this purpose a special website has been established:

B92 is the backbone of the independent news service in Yugoslavia. Without immediate financial support this last source of independent news for the inhabitants of this region is endangered. A fund raising campaign is being started by the support group, with the objective of sending money and equipment to B92 and other independent radio stations in Serbia and Kosovo. There are four key ways that you can assist the group in its support of B92.

By using the logo from the website and promote the spreading of this logo in any way you can.

Also link to the B92 website:

2) Help us raise funds for B92 and other endangered independent news services from Serbia and Kosovo. The special account number that has been opened for donations is 7676. International money orders are payable to:

Press Now
Kleine Gartmanplantsoen
10 1017 RR Amsterdam
the Netherlands

International bank transfers can be sent to:

Postbank Amsterdam
Swift address:
INGBNL2A Account number: 7676
in the name of: Press Now Kleine Gartmanplantsoen
10 1017 RR Amsterdam
the Netherlands

3) Distribute the press release about the fundraising campaign to your local media.

4) Sign the guestbook on the website if you want to express your individual support or, if you represent an organisation that wants to become part of the support group, mail us more details about the organisation and nature of the support offered, preferably accompanied by a small logo in gif-format to include on our website.

The Help B92 Team is:

B92:
De Balie:
De Digitale Stad:
Next 5 Minutes:
Press Now:
radioqualia (Australia):
De Waag (MONM):
XS4ALL:


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