Media business operations

The national code of advertising is expected to be adopted in Serbia in the first half of the next year, after which a self-regulatory body will be formed to monitor advertising and the implementation of the code – says the executive director of the Serbian branch of the International Advertising Association (IAA), Jelena Ivanovic.
(Danas, NUNS, 03.09.2011)

TV B92 has informed the cable operators in Montenegro that they will not be allowed to broadcast its programme in the future because of issues with violation of paid royalties. In this way, after the withdrawal of Croatian TV stations RTL and Nova, as well as Serbian TV stations Prva and B92, the attractiveness of cable programmes in Montenegro will be significantly reduced.
(www.bizlife, NUNS, 01.09.2011)

Pirated programme is aired by 56 radio and TV stations in Serbia. Their closure falls under the competence of the inspection department of the Ministry of Culture, Informing and Information Society, which is planned to begin operations on September 19, after numerous announcements. The director of the Republic Agency for Electronic Communication (RATEL), Milan Jankovic, said that the number of unlicensed radio stations had increased during the recent months.
(Tanjug, Pravda, Blic, NUNS,13.09.2011)

The Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV) has already informed the local public several times about the illegal broadcasters who are seriously jeopardizing the position of the media and the media market. The last specific protest was broadcast by TV SANTOS from Zrenjanjin against a long-time pirate station, KTV television. The company DOO "SANTOS-COMMERCE" has paid more than 18,700,00.00 dinars to the state and local budgets between 2008 and 2011; on the other hand, the pirate station, KTV, has not paid any of these obligations and constitutes unfair competition.
(NDNV,13.09. 2011)

Privatization and the state media

The owner of TV Pink, Zeljko Mitrovic, has agreed to sell a minority share in his media company to the largest European investment fund, Mid Europa Partners, controlled by the billionaire George Soros, reports Kurir daily newspaper. "Not true", said Mitrovic in a short message to Kurir.
(Kurir, 03.09.2011)

Zeljko Mitrovic said that there were many parties interested in increasing the capital of his company, after which its stocks would be sold in the London stock market. At the moment, negotiations are ongoing with the fund "Mid Europa Partners" which owns a share in the cable provider SBB. The price of the fund's entry in TV Pink would be 150 million euros.
(Politika, NUNS,10.09.2011, Kurir, Politika, 11.09.2011, UNS, 12.09.2011)

Pink International Company owns 14 companies, out of which 10 are in Serbia and 4 in other countries of the region (Podgorica, Sarajevo, Ljubljana and Skoplje). The total debt of all companies amounts to 14.9 billion dinars as of the last year, i.e. slightly less than 150 million euros. All of the real estate is under mortgage, claims economist Miodrag K. Skulic, who is preparing a book about the financial position of the media. The debt in the amount of nearly 150 million euros is 2.2 times larger than the total annual revenue of Pink.
(Politika, NUNS, 10.09.2011)

Radio-Television Vranje will be removed from the city budget on January 1 next year at the latest, and will have to be privatized in the period of two years, writes Pravda daily newspaper.
(UNS, ANEM, 12.09.2011)

TV Plana began broadcasting on the channel 34 in the KDS network. The station operates within the privatized Radio-Television Plana and airs experimental music programme with numerous news covering the activities of the local self-government, culture and sports. The director, Dragana Radosavljevic, expects the programme to be expanded after the introduction of the youth editorial office and greater availability to viewers through cable networks and on the internet.
(Vecernje Novosti, NUNS, UNS, 14.09.11)

Issue No. 12
September 03-16, 2011