20. 01. 2006

LICENSES REGULATE MEDIA SPHERE

BELGRADE, January 20, 2006 – The Serbian Government adopted at the yesterday’s session the decision on the payment rates for licenses for the use of radio frequencies and for TV or radio program broadcasting proposed by the Broadcast Agency. At the press conference following the session, the Culture Minister Dragan Kojadinovic stated that the annual broadcasting fee for television stations with the national coverage at the territory of Serbia would be 60.733.808 dinars (close to 700.000 euros) and 12.146.761 dinars for radio stations (close to 140.000 euros), payable in 12 monthly installments. Fee for broadcasting television program in Vojvodina would be 22.775.178 dinars (around 262.000 euros) and 4.555.035 dinars for radio stations (around 52.400 euros). Television stations that broadcast program on the territory of Belgrade broadcast region would have to pay, 12.146.761 dinars (close to 140.000 euros) while that fee for radio stations would be 2.429.352 dinars (close to 28.000 euros). According to Kojadinovic, despite the objections of the media organisations, the Principle was adopted to prevent the delays in process of regulating chaotic broadcasting sphere. Kojadinovic added that corrections were however possible.