Removal of the management of public service broadcaster in Vojvodina

The leader of the G17 political party, Mladjan Dinkic, threatened to step out of the Government of Serbia if the director of TV Novi Sad, Andrija Tomasevic, is removed from his position together with several members of managing boards in other public companies that have been appointed by the United Regions of Serbia party, reports Pravda.
(Pravda, 23/04/2011)

Privatization

Before the end of the week, the Anti-Corruption Council of the Government of Serbia will deliver the Government a report on the sale of Vecernje Novosti, announced the President of the Council, Verica Barac. "Draft report on abuses in the procedure of sale of Novosti has been completed long ago, but the documents to be issued by the Securities Commission are still not available", said Verica Barac to Beta agency. She added that the report on privatization of Novosti will be published on the web site of the Council so that citizens can access all the documents.
(Beta, Pregled, NUNS, UNS, 21/04/2011)

Employees of Radio Television Smederevo have started a second strike in less than a year because of irregular salaries and other unpaid obligations. In the last three months, both landlines and mobile phones in the RTV Smederevo have been cut off because of unpaid bills and the employees are unable to perform their work. Near the end of 2009, the Privatization Agency sold Radio Smederevo to Marko Lukic for the sum of 50,000 EUR. However, the factual owner is his father, Milan Lukic, a controversial businessman, who also controls the weekly Nas Glas.
(Tanjug, 26/04/2011)

The Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia (NUNS) supports the strike of employees in Radio Television Smederevo who are demanding payment of several monthly salaries. NUNS reminds that the failure to pay salaries and other obligations to the employees constitutes a gross violation of their labor rights, and calls on the owner of RTV Smederevo, Milan Lukic, to immediately meet the strikers' demands.
(NUNS, 26/04/2011)

The Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS) and the Journalists' Union of Serbia (SNS) support the strike of employees of Radio Television Smederevo caused by unpaid salaries since the beginning of the year and unpaid labor-related obligations since June last year. The UNS and SNS demand that the owner, Marko Lukic, respect the rights of the employees and provide appropriate working conditions.
(UNS, 26/04/2011)

The city administration in Loznica plans to increase the funds allocated to the local media, and instead of the previously planned five million dinars, local media projects will receive 7.5 million dinars. The mayor, Vidoje Petrovic, expects that "this step, that will improve availability of information to citizens", would allow all political parties to enjoy media attention, without any charges. Radio-Television "Podrinje", Radio-Television "Lotel", "Drina Radio" and weekly "Loznicke Novosti" operate in Loznica. Co-financing of local media projects began in 2008.
(Blic, 18/04/2011, Dnevnik, Vecernje novosti, 25/04/2011)

The opposition Democratic Party (DS) in Pirot and the Association "Coalition for Pirot" have accused the local government of using budget subsidies to influence the local media and create a media blockade, because the budget has been allocated without a clear criteria. On the other side, the media and the municipality deny all the accusations. In this year, a sum of 14.5 million dinars was allocated to the local media. The money was given from the municipal budget to the media on the basis of the estimation of the significance and type of the media, their influence, the number of employees and the structure of their programme.
(Blic, NUNS, UNS, 25/04/2011)

The TV fee for RTS

The provisions of the Law on Broadcasting that stipulates payment of a subscription fee for radio receivers in motor vehicles is bad and its implementation would constitute an additional burden on citizens, said Slobodan Homen, Media Coordinator of the Government of Serbia. He is of the opinion that the Ministry of Culture, Informing and Information Society should consider amending that section of the Law.
(Kurir, Press, Tanjug, B92, NUNS, 14/04/2011)

Issue no 2
April 14-27, 2011