The media coalition in Serbia requested on Tuesday from the government and other respective institution to immediately notify the public about what was happening with new rules for co-financing the public interest in media, the Beta news agency reported.

The coalition said that the media team for the dialogue (with the authorities) sent in December to Serbia’s government Coordinating Body for cooperation with media demand in line with suggestions by press and other media organisations on drafting and adopting the new rules.

“Because of an unacceptable delay in adopting this by-law document there were no public calls for media contents, which is a serious blow to media, especially the local and regional ones,” a Coalition statement said.

It added it had learned the draft had been kept by the Republic’s Committee for Legislature, a Government body, for almost two months.

“Media coalition will have its say after the document is adopted and published,” the statement added.

The coalition is made up of the Independent Association of Serbia’s Journalists, Independent Society of Vojvodina’s Journalists, the Association of Independent Electronic Media, Business Association of Local Press and the Association of Online Media.

The independent media have been complaining for a while that the distribution of the funds from the budget for co-financing media outlets was unfair and favourised those loyal to the regime or newly formed organisation.