IP: CNet Story on B92

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

>                Belgrade radio turns to
>                Web 
>                By Janet Kornblum and Courtney Macavinta
>                December 5, 1996, 4:30 p.m. PT 
>
>                         In a quick move to protect freedom of
>                speech, Progressive Networks' Real Audio began
>                hosting an independent Belgrade Radio B92
>                station over the Net this evening after the Serbian
>                government had the station pulled off the air. 
>
>                Although Radio B92 was taken off the air, its Web
>                site is still up and running on three Real Audio
>                Sites http://www.realaudio.com,
>                "http://www.timecast.com, and
>                http://www.webactive.com. 
>
>                Yesterday, Joe Follansbee, a Real Audio special
>                projects editor, heard the radio station had Real
>                Audio clips. Company executives decided to get
>                behind B92 and promised to have broadcasts by 5
>                p.m. today. 
>
>                "This company is committed to free speech," he
>                said. "We wanted to support B92." 
>
>                The station's own Web site is also still up and
>                running. Its opening screen banners an urgent
>                message stating that "Radio B92 is in danger!" 
>
>                B92, which has won awards for anti-war
>                engagement and other projects in the domain of
>                culture and communications, is yet another
>                example of an oppressed community discovering
>                the democratic powers of the Internet. First
>                attracting worldwide attention with the Chinese
>                pro-democracy movement in 1989, the Net is
>                being used increasingly by dissidents from all parts
>                of the political spectrum. 
>
>                Users can look at press releases on the radio's site
>                from the B92 station manager and listen to
>                RealAudio recordings in English. A message
>                recorded today announces, "This is an urgent
>                message to all supporters of radio station B92. At
>                1500 hours local time on December 3, 1996, the
>                radio lost its frequency and received the following
>                letter from the Federal Ministry for Transporting
>                Communications for the Federal Republic of
>                Yugoslavia." 
>
>                A female voice reads the letter, which states that
>                the station is operating illegally, without a license.
>                The letter also is printed on the site. 
>
>                The message concludes: "We please urge you all
>                to use the Internet as much as possible and to
>                keep in contact with Radio B92. Thank you." 
>
>                The first press release on the site, dated
>                November 27, details how the radio was taken off
>                the air four times "during its regular reporting on
>                the anti-government demonstrations in Belgrade,
>                which have lasted for several days now." 
>
>                "Demonstrations are being organised by the
>                democratic opposition, dissatisfied with the results
>                on local elections being cancelled by the regime,"
>                states the release, signed by Veran Matic, editor in
>                chief of the station. "The regime is trying to prevent
>                its electoral defeat in major cities of Serbia--which
>                is the first factual defeat of the Slobodan
>                Milosevic's regime since 1987." 
>
>                "Radio B92 is a single independent electronic
>                medium in Belgrade, which is continually reporting
>                on actual events, and it operates [sic] for 7 years
>                now without an official licence," it states. 
>
>                "It is obvious that this is a direct threat and an
>                introduction to a final ban of the B92," according
>                to the statement. "This radio has so far been the
>                best, most reliable, and professional source of
>                information for both the citizens of Belgrade and
>                foreign correspondents based in FR Yugoslavia.
>                Should it be banned, this would mean a huge blow
>                for democratic processes in Serbia and an obvious
>                undermining of all the principles that the Dayton
>                Agreement stands for."