Media business operations

A member of the business concern "Centroproizvod", "Stampa Sistem", has purchased the debt owed to individual creditors of the company "Futura Plus d.o.o." from Belgrade, thereby becoming the largest creditor of the company. After implementation of the plan of reorganization of "Futura Plus", "Stampa Sistem" will also become one of its owners. "Our greatest success will be to retain jobs for more than 4,300 employees. Both companies have suffered great financial losses. 'Futura Plus' was under bankruptcy, while 'Stampa Sistem' had its bank account blocked as well as many other financial problems."
(ASMEDI NEWSLETTER, March, 2012, ABC Newsletter, 06.03.2012)

Revoking of the TV fee will be one of the election slogans of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). The head of the economic team of the party, Jorgovanka Tabakovic, said that such a decision would improve the financial position of impoverished citizens. She added that the public service broadcaster should be financed by the government.
(Alo!, 09.03.2012)

According to data offered by the Department for Economic and Social Issues of the Alliance of Independent Trade Unions (SSS), in January and February in Serbia 35 events, 28 strikes and 7 protests were organized by 9,956 dissatisfied workers. The longest strike, lasting for 65 days, was organized by 80 employees of TV Avala. Dobrila Solesa
(Pregled, 12.03.2012)

Privatization and the state-owned media

Radio Leskovac, founded by the local self-government, suffered losses in the amount of almost a million dinars in 2011. The total expenses of the public company Radio Leskovac in 2012 amounts to around 21.2 million dinars. The City of Leskovac provides no less than 86 percent of necessary funds, while the radio station itself manages to earn less than 14.3 percent of the required money by selling its advertising space and attracting donations. Radio Leskovac owes around 3.2 million dinars to the public heating company for heating expenses, as well as the amounts of 917,000 dinars and 638,862 dinars to the City Directorate and SOKOJ, respectively. Salaries of journalists and other employees of Radio Leskovac are six months late – since June 2011.
(Juzne vesti, 06.03.2012)

The Municipal Council of the City of Apatin has accepted the proposal offered by the company Planeta d.o.o. The proposal relates to business cooperation in informing citizens of the municipality and sponsorship of the news programme. The proposal of the company notes that Radio Apatin, which began broadcasting its programme on January 19 of the last year, has successfully established its position and proved itself attractive to listeners, but that it failed to leverage that position to improve its business and financial position due to the difficult economic and financial circumstances in the society, estimating that future operation of the radio station would be impossible without assistance from the local self-government. According to the financial plan, Radio Apatin will provide 60 percent of the necessary funds via commercial content, while the remaining 40 percent (amounting to 156,000 dinars a month i.e. 1,872,000 dinars annually) will be financed by the municipal budget.
(Dnevnik, UNS, 09.03.201)

This year, the Municipality of Kikinda will offer generous help to all private local media outlets, including some outlets from other cities. A total amount of 17 million dinars will be allocated from the budget for the purpose. The Municipal Council has accepted the proposal of the expert committee for allocation of funds for co-financing of programmes and projects in the field of public informing. A public contest had been organized previously. ICK i.e. Radio Kikinda is the only media outlet that has not received the money intended for co-financing of programme and projects from the Municipality of Kikinda. The competent committee explains that Radio Kikinda was a public company, and that it was financed regularly from the budget.
(Vecernje Novosti – Vojvodina, UNS, 13.03.2012)