19. 11. 2005

COMPANIES WILL ALSO PAY TV SUBSCRIPTION

BELGRADE, November 19, 2005 – There is around 79.000 companies in Serbia and all of them would have to pay 300 dinars for TV subscription. However, how many TV subscriptions they would have to pay depends on the number of employees, since one subscription bill goes on every 20 staff members. Radio Television Serbia stated that excuses such as those that employees do not follow radio or television program at work “are just wrong interpretation of the legislators’ intention to enact the mechanisms for collection of TV subscription as a fundamental financing source of the public service broadcaster”. For example, Belgrade “Full Point” is one among other 80 thousand companies in Serbia which have been recently delivered a separate TV subscription bill from RTS. Company’s director Svetlana Dzodzo is still uncertain why she needs to pay RTS subscription twice. “We received the bill this morning without any previous notice. Our company has two full-time employees and we are not ready to pay subscription because we do not watch TV program at work. We don’t have time for it, and we certainly do not plan to start. We believe it’s pointless to pay subscription at work and at home.” RTS said the implementation of the Broadcast Act executes the obligation to pay TV subscription, prescribed by the Serbian Government. The collected funds would “finance the public service broadcaster in the country, as is the case in all other European countries”. RTS also appealed to people in Serbia, legal entities and institutions for understanding. Member of the Broadcast Council Aleksandar Vasic said the TV subscription bills for legal entities were expected, because their obligation is to abide by the laws of the country they operate. “The Broadcast Council has no responsibility for this particular case, however, according to the information I have, there are three methods of charge: through EPS for the households, directly for legal entities and through the Ministry of Internal Affairs for motor vehicles. The law precisely provides that all legal entities pay one TV subscription for every 20 staff members who can receive radio and TV program, with the exception of hotels and motels which pay one TV subscription for every 10 rooms with TV or radio receivers.” TV subscription is also a method of financing of one of the biggest media in the world, BBC. Households in Great Britain pay 10.54 pounds per month. BBC also provides information on the use of every penny at its official website.