26. 06. 2003

Privileges for the chosen few

BELGRADE, 26 June, 2003 -- Ivan Lalic, deputy head of the Serbian Government's advisory body, has said that the Anti-Corruption Council will propose that the government hire indepedent auditors to validate broadcasters' contracts. Specifically, the auditors would be tasked with investigating the validity of contracts signed between broadcasters seeking national frequencies and Radio Television Serbia, either side of 5 October, 2000. Lalic added that Council members would present evidence uncovered during investigation of frequency distribution procedures, claiming that investigators have established that conditions for competing broadcasters are unequal. Lalic stressed: "The television companies appearing as main users of RTS services prior to the regime change in Serbia have the state television to thank for their survival. These are TV PINK, TV Politika, TV YUInfo and TV Palma. TV BK used the infrastructure of its mobile telephone frequency, but has practically nothing to do with RTS".