12. 09. 2012

KIKINDA AUTHORITIES STOPPED FINANCING OF PRIVATE LOCAL MEDIA

Belgrade, September 12, 2012 (Vecernje novosti) - The local authorities in Kikinda have stopped financial support to private local media and certain production and marketing companies from Belgrade and Novi Sad. Contracts signed at the beginning of the year have been canceled with the last day of August.

This is the first cost-cutting measure brought by the Municipality Council in the new post-election composition, with the explanation that it was unavoidable - in this difficult financial situation. It was immediately followed by stern, negative response from media owners and editors, believing they were unjustly deprived from the funding and saying they would be forced to stop practicing journalism.

Deputy Mayor Milos Latinovic explains that the reason for such decision is exclusively the decrease in budget income, noting that the cutback does not apply only to this profession. Latinovic also promised that the local self-government would continue to financially support media once the conditions were met, namely when there was enough money for it.