14. 06. 2013

TIJANIC: STATE MUST FIND FUNDS FOR RTS

Belgrade, June 14, 2013 (Blic) - TV subscription fee for RTS will be abolished in October, when it would be financed from the budget, said the assistant culture and media minister Dragan Kolarevic.

It is still unknown, however, does the budget have enough funds for financing public service broadcasters.

"My job is to worry about the TV, to ensure the programming and functioning of RTS. It is up to the state to ensure the money", the general director of RTS Aleksandar Tijanic briefly commented, noting that, according to the statements and data of international institutions, RTS was the best public service broadcaster in the region in the last decade.

According to unofficial information, RTS will continue to sell its advertising space, since it is another model of its financing. Namely, RTS is financed with 40 million RSD from TV subscription fee, while 20 percent of revenues are ensured from advertising.

Assistant minister Kolarevic said that the state would continue to finance Tanjug news agency in 2014 as well, adding that the Parliament of Serbia was likely to adopt the set of media laws in September.