RFE/RL's 3rd annual Affiliate Assembly drew a record number of participants. More than 80 radio management representatives from 17 countries in RFE/RL's broadcast area came to Prague for the conference of radio stations and networks , which transmit RFE/RL programs in their local markets. That's more delegates than in the first two conferences combined, held in Prague in 1999 and Tbilisi and Gudauri, Georgia in 2000.

But there was one conspicuous absence in Prague this year, reminding us that turbulence and instability are still common in much of our broadcast area - none of the delegates from Kosovo and Macedonia were able to get to the Prague meeting. War conditions around Skopje at the time of their planned travel made it impossible for them to come.

Affiliate Assembly 2001, held from 27 June through 1 July, was organized by RFE/RL's Marketing and Affiliate Development Department. The now institutionalized event is held in our broadcast headquarters in Prague every other year, and in alternate years rotates among our broadcast countries.

In Prague, Director of Broadcasting Jeff Trimble greeted delegates at a welcome reception on 27 June at the Don Giovanni Hotel, where the delegates were lodged. Over the next three days, they attended five business sessions in the main auditorium of our broadcast operations center.

RFE/RL president Tom Dine opened the formal sessions with a keynote address on RFE/RL affiliate relations in the evolving media environment and the importance of the partnerships between RFE/RL and local broadcasters. He challenged delegates to answer 10 questions giving their own views and expectations of their organization's relationship with RFE/RL.

Broadcasting Director Jeff Trimble continued the theme, speaking about the changes RFE/RL is making in program content and format to adapt to new political times and meet varied audience needs. A session on the future of radio was moderated by Jeff Trimble and Associate Directors of Broadcasting Don Jensen and Michelle DuBach. Deputy Director of Technical Systems Luke Springer conducted a session focusing on developments in radio technologies.

Fine presentations were also made by other RFE/RL staff. Program Evaluation Director Gene Parta spoke about trends in media and society in our broadcast area. Internet Team director Miriam Allen discussed the future of radio on the Internet, and Elena Gloushkova of RFE/RL's Moscow Bureau told delegates about developments in Russian media law. IBB director Enver Safir and MADD's Uldis Grava gave reports on developments in affiliate relations.

The sessions were structured to give delegates ample opportunity to talk about their radio programs and concerns, and they made full use of it. Informative and challenging presentations came from affiliate station speakers from Ukraine (Oleg Nalyvayko, Stanislav Kiselev, Petr Lastivka), Russia (Marina Atchikova, Dmitry Bryuzgin, Vladimir Podolsky), Romania (Liviu Deaconu, Paul Szaniszlo), Moldova (Aurelian Popescu), Latvia (Darija Juskevica), Armenia (Armen Arminian) and Serbia (Dragan Kojadinovic, Jovanka Zlatkovic).

Guest speaker Slobodan Orlic, Federal Secretary of Information of Yugoslavia` commented on the inherent conflict between state interests and the independence of the press. He was at the Affiliate Assembly during the time of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's transfer to The Hague to face war crimes charges and was able to share valuable insights on the tensions in Belgrade.

The following affiliates were awarded bronze plaques for excellence of broadcast performance: Armenian National Radio (Armenia), Radio Mix FM (Romania), Latvia's Public Radio (Latvia), Ziniu Radijas (Lithuania), Radio Dovira (Ukraine), Radio Djakova (Croatia), Radio Peja (Kosovo), Radio Vladivostok (Russia), Radio Odessa - Garmonia Mira (Ukraine), Radio of Rostov (Russia), Radio 021 (Serbia), Radio Samara Maximum (Russia), BG Radio (Serbia) and Radio Kiks (Slovakia).

The awards were presented by RFE/RL president Tom Dine and the MADD organizers of the Assembly - Director Uldis Grava, Deputy Director Frank Williams, Marketing Manager Snjezana Pelivan, Affiliate Relations Manager Mike Belousov and Marketing Associate Lucie Kubeskova, who announced each award in the native language of the recipient radio station. Tom Dine presented the grand prize, the Affiliate of the Year Award, to Radio Dovira, our radio network affiliate in Ukraine, and announced Ukraine as the site for Affiliate Assembly 2002.