21. 07. 2005

STATE’S ILL-GOTTEN GAINS

BELGRADE, July 21, 2005 – The announced introduction of RTS subscription has generally displeased the citizens, whose wallets have already been drained. Many still do not see the reason why they should pay for RTS subscription, when the station has already been commercialized, while people could follow its program through the cable pay-TV. On the other hand, the authorities claim that the citizens have been paying the subscription for this radio-television station through taxes, and that they are obliged to support the transformation of RTS into a public service broadcaster. National Organization of Serbian Consumers protested yesterday over the introduction of subscription for the public service broadcasters, envisaged by the Broadcast Act. While the Broadcast Council announced the subscription charges of 300 dinars from September 1, 2005, the Electric-power Industry of Serbia (EPS) refused the option of collecting subscriptions through the power bills. Another option of charging the subscriptions would be through the telephone bills. In his open letter to the Finance Minister Mladjan Dinkic, vice president of the National Organization of Consumers Jovan Jovanovic warned of calling the general public on boycott of the subscription. “If they do not acknowledge our protest, we will call all consumers to boycott TV subscription. We would also call all unions to side with us in this action”, said Jovanovic. Jovanovic also pointed out that RTS was not citizens’ service, but Government’s, adding that the state had been using this station for creating public opinion; therefore, the state ought to finance the public service. On the other hand, Culture and Information Minister Dragan Kojadinovic could not see the reason why the public or anyone else would object to the introduction of subscription, since they were paying the station through their taxes. Kojadinovic stressed that the best way to collect subscriptions would be through the telephone bills. “There are three options to charge subscription: electricity bills, telephone bills and utility charges. I would not go for the option of electricity bills, since this method was used in earlier, unpopular period. As for utility charges, the problem is that they do not have high percentage of collection. The most realistic solution is the telephone bills. All in all, the government will have the final saying in that”, said Kojadinovic. Professor of communications at the Faculty of political science Miroljub Radojkovic said that all public service broadcasters must have subscriptions, advising the citizens to better pay for the subscription than to let politicians run the station. However, by introducing the subscription, the service must restore its three basic roles – information, education and entertainment. “The goal is to make a state television which would be a model for quality, and which would prevail over all other stations with programs such as “Vuk Karadzic”, “Seobe” and so on. Now when they only reemit their former programs, it is obvious they are in crisis”, said Radojkovic.