Fico: Gov't to Deal with Law on STaR at Away-from-home Session on Wednesday

Bratislava, April 22 (TASR) - The government will deal with a bill on public-broadcaster Slovak Television and Radio (STaR) at its away-from-home session in Dolna Krupa (Trnava region) on Wednesday (April 24), Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) told a news conference following his inspection day at the Culture Ministry on Monday.
        Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee) added that the government's Legislative Council will deal with the bill as early as on Tuesday (April 23).
        The premier stressed that the current Radio and Television Slovakia (RTVS) needs a change of management and a new law. He argued that the current public broadcaster is incapable of satisfying the public's right to objective information. "How can it provide objective information when it is engaged in a constant fight with the government?" he asked, adding that his cabinet is currently dealing with serious problems that it inherited from previous governments. "We want to do our job in an objective media environment, which will reprimand the government if necessary but at the same time won't ignore the positive steps it takes," stated Fico.
        The premier praised Simkovicova, stressing that the ministry under her leadership has been fulfiling the government manifesto in terms of support for Slovak national culture. According to him, this is also a consequence of attacks against the minister. He said that upcoming projects and legislative measures, including the financing of churches and religious societies and ethnic-minority culture were on the agenda of his working meeting with the minister as well.
        The minister recalled the steps that have been taken by the ministry under her leadership so far and mentioned the measures that are due to be taken later this year. She announced that parliament should discuss an amendment to the law on monument protection and museums and galleries by the summer and that the ministry is also preparing a law on the state language.
        General secretary of the ministry's service office Lukas Machala at the news conference denied media speculation that he will become the new general director of the public-service broadcaster.