Media business operations

A statement issued by TV SANTOS: "TV SANTOS has found out that a pirate TV station, KTV from Zrenjanin, enjoys all rights of a legal broadcaster despite its illegal status, while at the same time it has no obligations toward the state and the Republic budget, which has received a large amount of money from RTV SANTOS. As a legal broadcaster, TV SANTOS has paid more than 18,700,00.00 dinars to the Republic Broadcasting Agency (RRA), the Republic Agency for Electronic Communication (RATEL), Serbian Music Authors' Organization (SOKOJ) and Organization of Phonogram Producers of Serbia (OFPS) between 2008 and 2011. The pirate TV station, KTV, has not paid any of these obligations and constitutes unfair competition."
(„Santos-Commerce“, 13.09.2011, NDNV, 12.09.2011)

At the moment, 56 stations in Serbia broadcast their programme illegally, among them 47 radio stations and nine TV channels, says the Republic Agency for Electronic Communication (RATEL). Most of the illegal broadcasters are located in Vojvodina.
(NDNV, 19.09.2011)

Twenty workers from the printing branch of "Dnevnik Holding" from Novi Sad, who have been on strike for several weeks, demanded that the Government of Vojvodina help them to receive 11 unpaid salaries and health insurance that have been lacking for 19 months.
(Vecernje Novosti, 17.09.2011)

A longtime editor-in-chief of "Politikin Zabavnik", Zefirino Grasi, will act as the general director of "Politika a.d." after the resignation of the previous general director, Milorad Gusavac, from his position.
(Politika, NUNS 19.09.2011)

The director of the news agency Tanjug, Branka Djukic, denied the report published by Vecernje Novostidaily newspaper about "high indebtedness" of Tanjug. The report was published on September 26, 2011 under the title "Higher Debt, Bigger Salaries".
(Vecernje Novosti, 28.09.2011)

Privatization and state-owned media outlets

The Anti-Corruption Council of the Government of Serbia demanded that the Government protect the interest of the state, which owns 36.2 percent of the Novosti company. The Council also demanded that the Government eliminate doubts that the majority owner of the media company, Milan Beko, is usurping state property with the state's consent. The statement issued by the Council says that the Government established in 2006 that the illegal registration of the ownership structure of the company Novosti with the court register had violated the ownership rights of the state and ordered the Ministry of Economy to analyze the ownership structure and to suspend all activities related to issuance of Novosti stocks until the completion of the analysis. "The failure of the Ministry of Finance to obey the Government's order; the behavior of the Republic Public Legal Advisor during the litigation with Novosti in relation to the 'Borba' building; and the fact that the Ministry of Economy failed to act, allowing the Novosti company to usurp the property of the Printing Company Borba, are examples of negligence", says the Council.
(Beta, Pravda, Pregled, NUNS, 16.09.2011)

The Constitutional Court of Serbia rejected the complaint filed by Austrian company Ost Holding against the Committee for Protection of Competition. Two years ago, Ost Holding, which is owned by the German media company VAC, asked the Committee for Protection of Competition to approve its acquisition of 62.4 percent of stocks of Novosti company. In July of this year, the Committee suspended the proceedings until the Constitutional Court decides on the company's complaint.
(Beta, Danas, Dnevnik, Pregled, Večernje Novosti, Blic, 28.09.2011)

Ever since the first attempt at privatization of Radio Sombor, one of the oldest local electronic media in Serbia has not managed to fully recover and its future is uncertain. In August of this year, after the dismissal of the representative of state capital, Anita Beretic, the Republic Privatization Agency appointed Viorika Blazin from Zrenjanin as the new representative of its majority share in Radio Sombor. However, she has not visited Sombor to this day. In this way, soon after her appointment, Radio Sombor remained without any person authorized to sign any document, payment order or bill.
(Dnevnik, 22.09.2011)

According to confirmed information from the Republic Privatization Agency, a new person has been appointed to represent the state capital in Radio Sombor. The majority share of stocks in Radio Sombor will be represented by Bojan Djurovic from Novi Sad, born in 1978.
(Dnevnik, 23.09.2011)