26. 01. 2006

15 MILLION OF DEPOSIT FOR TV, 1.5 MILLION FOR RADIO

BELGRADE, January 26, 2006 – The stations that intend to compete for the national frequencies at the recently announced competition for the use of licenses for radio and TV program broadcasting in Serbia, are required to meet technical, organizational and program criteria and to submit all necessary documentation within 60 days. The technical criteria include the inventory of the studio equipment and their technical parameters that guarantee the program quality. The competitors are also required to submit the constructional documentation, that is, blueprints of the business premises, all obtained licenses, contracts for program broadcasting if any, as well as all other relevant documentation. These conditions are applicable for all stations that broadcast their program in the time of the competition announcement, published in Belgrade daily Politika. The general organizational criteria envisage, among other things, the Founding Act of the legal entity, the official document of the taxation office on the classification of the legal entity, station’s status, collective agreement or Work Regulations, company’s work systematization, detailed structure of staff members or persons engaged only as external associates, and name of the authorized representative of the applicant. Furthermore, the applicants must comply with the legal criteria, which envisage the submission of the evidence of the applicant’s registration extract from the Register, details about all identified owners or co-owners of the applying company, as well as the certified statement of the applicant declaring that the illegal media concentration will not be created by eventual license issuing. The financial conditions envisage that the applicants that currently broadcast their program must submit all financial reports with the total balance and annual financial report, proof of having settled all duties associated with the copyright and related rights and contracts made with the bearers of those rights, as well as the valid commercial contracts for buying and selling advertising space, sponsorship etc. It is also necessary to provide the statement from the authorized bank on the deposit payment, (15 million dinars for TV program broadcast on national level and 1.5 million dinars for the radio stations that will compete for program broadcasting on national frequency). For program broadcasting in Vojvodina region, TV stations are required to pay 5.5 million, while the deposit for radio stations is 500.000 dinars. The deposit for broadcasting TV program in the Belgrade region is 3 million, and for radio program 300.000 dinars. The deposit is paid on the nominated account of the Broadcast Agency’s in the Atlas bank (125-1920-62). The applicants that do not broadcast their program in the moment of competition announcement should provide the report on the projected revenues and expenses with the detailed specification, details of their financial potentials, financial warranty totaling the annual fee for the use of the right for program broadcasting (for television stations) or the minimal six months fee for the use of right to broadcast program on the radio. The applicants must also comply with the program criteria which envisage the submission of the detailed concept of program scheme, respecting the minimal program standards foreseen by the Broadcast Act. The applicants that currently broadcast their program must also provide the agreement on the respect and protection of copyright and related rights, signed with the relevant organisation. It is necessary to state the full name of the program chief editor, or the list of all editors in charge. The conditions for obtaining the broadcast license are also envisaged by the Telecommunications Act and regulations, which include the agreement with the appropriate design organisation or authorized designer in line with the valid national rules for procreation of technical documentation.