Dispute About Use of Term �Sports Radio�

06 September 2005

The Association of Private Electronic Media (APEM) and the Media Development Centre said yesterday that the decision by Skopje I Court of First Jurisdiction to prohibit �Radio Grom� from Skopje to use the term �sports radio� in the aether of the City of Skopje and believes that the court ruling is an obvious attempt of juridical meddling in the editorial policy of the radio.

�The term sports radio could be used by any radio or television station, regardless of its name, since it is a reflection of the editorial policy and not a name that can be patented and protected as trade name�, said Viktor Grozdanov, Secretary General of APEM in the press-conference held at the NGO InfoCentre in Skopje.

�No court in the world can, or should get involved in the editorial policies of any media�, said Roberto Belicanec from MDC.

The dispute over the use of term �sports radio� appeared when a group of discontented employees left �Kanal 4� Radio and turned Radio �Grom� into a sports radio. �Radio Grom� deny �Kanal 4� charges of illegal operations.