TV Pink versus Croatia

The owner of TV Pink, Zeljko Mitrovic, has decided to stop broadcasting Croatian music, films and tourist advertisements in all of the five countries where the company owns TV stations (Serbia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro). Mitrovic decided to take this radical step after Croatian authorities had announced their decision to sell his yacht that was impounded in September last year.
(Press, Dnevnik, Kurir, 24 sata, Blic, Danas, 04.08.2011, Danas, 06.08.2011)

The Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS) has condemned the decision made by the owner of the TV Pink, Zeljko Mitrovic, to boycott in his station's programme Croatian music, cinematography and touristic advertisements because of his personal problem, and described the step as scandalous. The Republic Broadcasting Agency (RRA) says that "the situation and further developments are being monitored".
(Danas, Blic, 05.08.2011)

The Republic Broadcasting Agency (RRA) says that Zeljko Mitrovic has the right to choose the music that will be aired. "The RRA will certainly monitor the situation and react if TV Pink violates the regulations whose implementation we observe, i.e. the Law on Broadcasting and the Code of Conduct of Broadcasters", announced the spokesman of the RRA, Srboljub Bogdanovic.
(Politika, 05.08.2011)

The Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS) is concerned because of the announced boycott, but also because of the letter delivered to the media by Zeljko Mitrovic, in which he points out that he would never again "cover up the incidents and difficulties whose victims are Serbian, Bosnian and Montenegrin citizens who decided to spend their vacation in Croatia". The news section of TV Pink said that the statement issued by their owner, Zeljko Mitrovic, in which he claimed that TV Pink had covered up such incidents, was not true, and that this can be verified by examining the station's programme archive.
(Tanjug, Politika, 05.08.2011)

Programme coordinators of TV Pink have been ordered to remove from the station's programme all Croatian content until further notice, said Tanja Vojtehovski, the director of the Media System and the PR department of TV Pink.
(Politika, 05.08.2011, Blic, 06.08.2011)

The Minister of Tourism of Croatia, Damir Bajs, send a public message to Zeljko Mitrovic that any activity against Croatian tourism is inappropriate, while advertisements on TV Pink "have been paid and contracts that we have concluded must be implemented".
(Kurir, 05.08.2011)

Serbian tourists in Croatia are being discriminated against, Serbian capital is unwelcome, Todoric's chain of supermarkets Idea is poisoning Serbian consumers, even Serbian pets – this is only a part of accusations, insults and libels broadcast on Friday on the main news programme of Serbian national TV Pink, reports Croatian Vecernji List. "It is obvious that Zeljko Mitrovic, the owner of the aforementioned media company, has launched a total war against Croatia. However, his most fierce attack was made during the main news programme during which half of the time – no less than 13 minutes – was dedicated to reports smearing Croatia and Croatian politicians", says Vecernji List.
(Blic, 07.08.201, Danas, 10.08.2011)

Politika's columnist writes: "The entry into the Serbian market of a Greek TV station and its huge capital, who immediately bought two national frequencies, has disturbed the balance of power among the kings of TV. Zeljko Mitrovic was unexpectedly attacked on his home ground, and everything that followed got a melodramatic character: from his mysterious poisoning, to his spectacular falling out with Croatians.
(Politika, 07.08.2011)

Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanded that Serbian authorities take measures against broadcasting of "negative and unfounded content" about Croatia on TV Pink, having in mind the fact that the media company uses public frequencies of the Republic of Serbia.
(Fonet, Politika, Danas, Pravda, Kurir, Alo!, Press, Dnevnik, 24 sata, 09.08.2011, Asmedi Newsletter No.157)

The Ministy of Foreign Affairs of Serbia delivered the telegram received from the Embassy of Serbia in Zagreb on the same day to the competent Ministry of Culture. The Ministry of Culture immediately transferred the protest of the Croatian Ministry to the Republic Broadcasting Agency (RRA).
The president of the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS), Vukasin Obradovic, reminds that the Association has pointed out that the step taken by Zeljko Mitrovic is contrary to the Journalists' Code of Conduct of Serbia, the Law on Public Informing and the Law on Advertising, and that these issues lie within the competence of the Ministry of Culture and Informing and the RRA. The president of the Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS), Ljiljana Smajlovic, is concerned about the indifference of the Serbian government and independent regulatory bodies towards actions of Zeljko Mitrovic. "The true scandal with regard to Zeljko Mitrovic and TV Pink lies in the fact that an owner is using his ownership over a media outlet with a national frequency in order to promote his private and commercial interests, regardless of the interest of the public or professional standards. Even Rupert Murdoch is not allowed to behave in this way anymore", she added.
(Danas, 10.08.2011)

A column published by the Blic daily newspaper says: "The case of the yacht of the Serbian media magnate has demonstrated that a national frequency can easily become a dangerous private tool, and that personal interest can use this tool to increase its influence. The media outlet was used out of personal motives to directly incite hate and vindictiveness. It was a dangerous demonstration of arrogance. Such a move proves that it is possible to envision a media retaliation against the local state administration, a political party or individuals. If they make him angry!"
(Blic, 10.08.2011)

The owner of TV Pink, Zeljko Mitrovic, visited Dubrovnik, although he claimed that "he would never set his foot in Croatia again". In Dubrovnik, Zeljko Mitrovic toned down his statements with regard to banning of Croatian advertisements on TV Pink as well as Croatian music and films.
(Kurir, Alo!, Blic, 24 sata, 10.08.2011, Blic, Danas, 11.08.2011)

The Center for Practical Policy has submitted a complaint to the Republic Broadcasting Agency (RRA) against TV Pink because of "direct discrimination of citizens of Croatia and legal persons headquartered in Croatia". The complaint will be also submitted to the Commissioner for Protection of Equality.
(Dnevnik, Politika, 11.08.2011)

"I am conducting a campaign based on principles against illegal acts of certain institutions. Campaigns are not forbidden by law nor illegal, and are limited by codes of conduct which we have adhered to", said Zeljko Mitrovic.
(Kurir, 12.08.2011)

The Municipal Court in Dubrovnik adopted a temporary measure to suspend the sale of the yacht belonging to Zeljko Mitrovic.
(Politika, Blic, Danas, 13.08.2011)

The Managing Board of TV Pink will decide on Zeljko Mitrovic's intention to stop broadcasting of Croatian music, advertisements, films and series at its session that will be held on August 18. The initiative of non-governmental organisations, Civic Vojvodina, said yesterday that Zeljko Mitrovic's and TV Pink's boycott "aimed against everything related to Croatia was illegal and that it was jeopardizing the position of the Croatian national minority in Serbia".
(Danas, 13.08.2011)

Awards, promotions, training courses and competitions

Promotion of the reprinted edition of the magazine Gradina 1900-1901 was held yesterday in honor of Jeremija Zivanovic, one of the main contributors and founders of the magazine. Zivanovic was a writer, professor and the civil governor of Moravska Banovina, as well as the main contributor to the magazine in 1900. Some of the printed copies of the reprinted edition of Gradina were purchased by the Ministry of Culture during the last public contest.
(SEEcult.org, Danas, 12.08.2011)

The media audience

In around a dozen villages at the territory of Novi Pazar, more than 10,000 people cannot watch television programmes. Half of these villages does not even have an adequate mobile telephony coverage. This information was acquired by the Sandzak Board for Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms after organization of debates in rural areas within the project entitled "Strengthening of Democratic Capacity in Rural Communities". "We are already preparing requests that solutions to these problems be found, which will be submitted to the Radio-Television Serbia (RTS) and Telecom Serbia. Consumers who could afford it have solved the problem by using cable operators but, unfortunately, their number is small", says Semiha Kacar, the president of the Sandzak Board for Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms.
(Danas - Sandžak, 05.08.11)

The economic crisis has lowered the living standard of Serbian citizens and contributed to decrease in sales of newspapers. The only auditing agency in the country, "ABC Serbia", analyzed the circulation of newspapers during six months and pointed out that the drop (compared to the first six months of the last year) amounted to no less than 6.5 percent, and that the circulation of eight daily newspapers was 400,000 copies lower than previously. If we take into account the fact that some of the newspapers did not want to be audited, it could be assumed that the decrease was even more serious.
(Vecernje Novosti, NUNS, UNS, 16.08.2011)

Media transfers

The Managing Board of the Radio-Television of Vojvodina (RTV) has appointed Slobodan Arezina as the new director of TV Novi Sad and Jozef Klem as the director of Radio Novi Sad, announced the RTV. Arezina and Klem were appointed at the proposal of the general director of RTV, Sinisa Isakov, said the announcement. RTV reminds that the director of Radio Novi Sad, Jozef Klem, had previously been its acting director, while the new director of TV Novi Sad, Slobodan Arezina, has achieved noticeable results in several media companies. During his journalistic career, he has worked for Radio Free Europe as well as the editor-in-chief of TV Avala and the director of production in Filmske Novosti.
(Dnevnik, 11.08.2011)

The language in the media

While linguistic experts and the public have often voiced their dissatisfaction with the obscene or insulting language used on the TV, screenwriters explain that it is not possible to write scripts without foul language since such scripts would not reflect reality. "Aggression is the last refuge of those who are incompetent", says TV director Stanko Crnobrnja. Aggressive language is all-pervasive and the audience has become accustomed to it. Director and media expert, Aleksandar Mandic, is of the opinion that foul words are making the language poorer and the public space more vulgar.
(Politika, 12.08.2011)

In Memoriam

Journalist and years-long member of the Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS), Rade Milisavljevic, has passed away in Belgrade at the age of 91, says UNS. Milisavljevic worked as a contributing journalist for Politika, Borba, NIN, Pancevac, Knjizevna Rec and other newspapers. He has also been a professional photographer.
(Pravda, 09.08.2011)

Petar Jankovic died in his hometown of Zajecar on August 15, 2011. He had worked in journalism all his life, first in the correspondent office of Politika daily newspaper in Nis, and later, since the beginning of the seventies, in Politika in Belgrade. He was the editor of the weekly issue, a chief of the desk, the editor of the internal affairs section and an advisor.
(UNS, Politika, 17. 08. 2011)

After a long and serious illness, a journalist of Vecernje Novosti, Vlastimir Popovic, died at the age of 63. Popovic graduated from the Faculty of Political Science in Belgrade and began working as a contributor to the business section of "Privredni Pregled" in 1973. During mid-eighties he started working for Vecernje Novosti and became one of the leading reporters.
(Blic, UNS, 12. 08. 2011)