09. 08. 2013

DO WE REALLY NEED ONE MORE NATIONAL TV?

Belgrade, August 9, 2013 (Politika) - The RBA Council should give up on the idea to allocate the only remaining free frequency, the Telecommunications Minister Rasim Ljajic said.

There are over 150 televisions in Serbia, with local, regional and national coverage. After today's session of the RBA Council, this number will almost certainly be increased by one more broadcaster - TV Kopernikus, which gave one of its cable channels to Serbian Progressive Party during the last elections, or TV Nova, with Dejan Jocic, former director of TV Prva, allegedly leading it.

Minister Ljajic has warned several times in the past of the damage the allocation of this frequency might cause to Serbia.

"The law says the competition for allocating the freqency must be called as soon as one frequency is freed. However, in this concrete case, this was not necessary, as the state would have much to lose. This is one of the situations when abiding by the law is damaging to the state", Minster Ljajic said.

Ljajic believes it would be best if the Council decided not to allocate the only free frequency, but says he wouldn't want his message be interpreted as a pressure on "independent regulatory body".