23. 08. 2005

TIJANIC: RTS FACING BANKRUPTCY

BELGRADE, August 23, 2005 (Danas) – “Radio Television Serbia is facing bankruptcy. Without the transitional funds for the period of three to six months, RTS cannot turn upside down and become public service broadcaster”, said yesterday RTS director Aleksandar Tijanic Speaking to the members of the Serbian Parliament’s Culture and Information Committee, Tijanic presented the current state of the national television station which will soon be financed from the TV subscription. Draft amendments to the Broadcast Act, disputed so much in the public by the representatives of the media, will be discussed today in the Serbian Parliament. The amendments were generally adopted yesterday by the Parliament’s Information Committee. The amendments, among other things, envisage revoking of power of veto for the member of the Broadcast Council from Vojvodina. They also define introduction of subscription of RTS, which will have six months to be transformed into a public service broadcaster, and postpone the deadline for privatisation of the local and regional government media to the end of 2008. The Independent Association of Serbian Journalists (IJAS) and the Independent Association of Electronic Media (ANEM) have opposed the new amendments, while the Broadcast Council and Culture Minister Dragan Kojadinovic noted that this was the only way to start implementing the Act, brought three years ago. Aleksandar Tijanic called on all members of the Parliament to decide whether they wanted respectful and powerful public service. Tijanic accused all three private television stations of doing everything to destroy RTS and share among themselves the “catch” of around 15 million euros, which the national television earns yearly from advertising. RTS director suggested another amendment to introduce the transition fund for the period of three to six months, which was, according to MP Rajko Baralic, supported by the Socialist Party of Serbia. President of IJAS Nebojsa Bugarinovic supported the idea of introducing the transition funds in general. He noted that the public would generally disapprove of the haste introduction of the TV subscription, which could lead to collapse of RTS. While the G 17 Plus welcomes the introduction of subscription, Deputy Chief of the MPs of the Serbian Radical Party Aleksandar Vucic said that the state ought to finance this television station from the budget until the situation is regulated. Vucic added that the largest political party in the parliament would not support nor oppose the amendment. The demand of IJAS, ANEM and Vojvodina Parliament’s Culture Information Committee not to revoke the power of veto for the Vojvodina representative to the Council met no support of the MPs. One of the proposed amendments, to be debated in the Parliament, will prolong the privatisation to the end of 2007. Aleksandar Lazarevic from G17 Plus said that way, the local stations would not get enough time to prepare for the process of privatisation. However, by that time, it would be known whether those stations passed at the competition of frequency allocation. The question, brought by IJAS and Aleksandar Vucic, on who could guarantee that the new deadlines would be met, also remained unanswered.