Dismissal of top-level management of the public service broadcaster in Vojvodina

The Management Board of the public service broadcaster of Vojvodina – Radio-Television Vojvodina (RTV) has dismissed yesterday the complete top-level management of the media company because of unsatisfactory performance, reflected mostly in low ratings of the province's public service. The director general, Blazo Popovic, TV and radio directors, Aleksandar Dotlic and Jozef Klem, as well as editors-in-chief of radio and TV, Ljubisa Nikolin and Radovan Balac, have all been dismissed. They will serve as acting directors and editors until the appointment of new management.
Source: Tanjug, Blic, Press, Pravda, Politika, Dnevnik, Večernje Novosti, 24 sata, 12/04/2011

Surely no one is surprised by another dismissal of the management of Radio Television of Vojvodina (RTV), but it is curious that the public has not been offered a more detailed explanation of the reasons for such decision, especially since the company is a public service broadcaster, says the statement issued by the Association of Journalists of Vojvodina.
Source: DNV, 12/04/2011

The President of the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NDNV), Dinko Gruhonjic, says that it is true that RTV Vojvodina has low ratings, but that the problem lies not with the management of the company, but with the deplorable working conditions.
Gruhonjic reminds that the building of the TV station was completely destroyed by bombs in 1999 and doubts that new management would be able to chang things for the better. Gruhonjic believes that the decision on dismissal of top-level management was a political decision caused by forthcoming elections.
Source: B92, 13/04/2011

The case of "Dnevnik"

In its official statement yesterday, the media group VAC has denied accusations of Zlatimir Momirov, the president of the Managing Board of "Dnevnik Holding", who claimed that the company had deceived the public when it announced that it would give 55 percent of stocks of the newspaper "Dnevnik" to employees.
Source: Politika, 01/04/2011

At separate press conferences, organized by representatives of "Dnevnik Holding" and "Dnevnik Vojvodina Press", both of whom are in majority ownership of German media corporation VAC, each party remained at their original position. The president of the Managing Board of "Dnevnik Holding" emphasized that "VAC's gift to DVP can be realized, but only after the settlement of debts, while the director of "Dnevnik Vojvodina Press", Dusan Vlaovic, denied existence of any debts and demanded adherence to Government of Vojvodina's decision.
Source: Dnevnik, 01/04/2011

Employees in the company "Dnevnik Vojvodina Press" (DVP) have called on the Government of Vojvodina to immediately implement the decision adopted on September 29, 2010 to accept VAC's offer to give its share of 55 percent to employees of the newspaper "Dnevnik". "There is no time to lose because VAC has yesterday announced that the stocks intended for DVP's employees would be sold in the market since the Managing Board of Dnevnik Holding has refused to implement the government's decision for the last six months".
Source: Ekonomist, UNS, 05/04/2011

Privatization

The Privatization Agency has annulled the privatization of TV Valjevo because of the failure to meet obligations resulting from the sale agreement. At the auction held in February 2010, the company was bought for the price of 147,000 dinars by businessman Slobodan Pavlovic from Urovac. The employees expect that the Privatization Agency appoint a representative for the state's property. TV Valjevo does not broadcast any news programme since its employees have been executing a "white strike" for months because of unpaid salaries.
Source: Pregled, Pravda, UNS, , 04/04/2011; Politika, Vecernje novosti, 05/04/2011, Politika, 11/04/2011

At a meeting between the province's secretary for labor, employment and gender equality, Miroslav Vasin, and the representatives of the City of Sombor and municipalities of Apatin, Kula and Odzaci and RTV Vojvodina, it has been decided that survival of Radio Sombor, a station that celebrates 40 years of existence this year, should be ensured by providing 7,000,000 dinars from various sources so that it can restart its activities and earn revenue in the market.
Source: Pravda, 02/04/2011

The City Council has approved 1,500,000 dinars in assistance to Radio Sombor. The money will be used to unblock the station's bank transfer account and to pay for electricity bills, which would allow broadcasting to be restarted. The Province and the Republic have announced assistance in the amount of 1,5 million and 2 million dinars, respectively.
Source: Danas, NUNS, UNS, 08/04/2011, Večernje Novosti, 13/04/2011

RTS subscription fee

The obligation to pay radio and TV subscription fees for receivers in vehicles, stipulated by the Law on Broadcasting, has never been implemented in Serbia, and it is estimated that Radio-Television of Serbia (RTS) loses around five million euros each year as a consequence. The Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Republic Broadcasting Agency and the Automotive Association of Serbia (AMSS) all say that collection of subscription fee for vehicles is not within their authority.
Source: Danas, 08/04/2011

Provisions of the Law on Broadcasting that stipulate collection of subscription fees for receivers in motor vehicles are bad and their implementation would constitute an additional burden for citizens, says Slobodan Homen, media coordinator of the Government of Serbia. In his words, the Ministry of Culture, Informing and Information Society should consider possibilities of amending the law.
Source: Danas, 13/04/2011

Various

As it seems, this is the last issue of "Nasa Rec" because the judge of the Commercial Court will soon decide on closure of the weekly magazine that has been in existence for almost 67 years – says the editorial authored by the editor-in-chief, Ljiljana Stojanovic, under the title "The Last Issue... In This Episode".
Source: Juzne vesti 09/04/2011

Most of the local media outlets in Loznica have asked political parties to pay for their reporting from press conferences.
The editor-in-chief of "Loznicke Novosti", Zorica Visnjic, says that charging of regular reporting about the activities of political parties is contrary to all ethical rules of journalism, since such practice would mean selling of the editorial policy.
Source: Blic, UNS, 01/04/2011

In the last year, around 2,000 media professionals have lost their jobs, and such trend will remain mostly unchanged in this years, which will also be difficult for both journalists and the media, it was told at this year's first media monitoring "Media Trends" organized by Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
Source: Tanjug, NUNS Newsletter, 01/04/2011

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