Belgrade-based TV station mulls banning Croatian music

The privately-owned Belgrade-based Pink TV will on Thursday discuss a decision to ban Croatian music and films from its channels. The reason for such a decision was the Croatian Customs Administration’s advertisement announcing the sale of Pink TV owner Zeljko Mitrovic's luxury yacht El Bosco, which was seized in Croatia. Belgrade-based TV station mulls banning Croatian music Mitrovic said in a statement that the outlet's Board of Directors would discuss “banning Croat music and cinematography in all five countries that Pink has its TV stations in”, as well as “special care about quality control of Croatian products outside Croatia”. “A ban on running Croatian tourism commercials has come in effect and we will never again have an opportunity to cover-up incidents and unpleasant situations faced by Serbian, Bosnian and Montenegrin citizens as they vacation in Croatia,” the release reads. “I have been trying for years to improve good neighborly relations between Serbia and Croatia through media business that includes promoting Croat music, cinematography and Croat investments in the countries of the former Yugoslavia. I believe that Pink Television has enough media power to establish a better balance in the category of foreign trade disbalance between the two countries,” Mitrovic added. Mitrovic’s 32-meter yacht was bought in 2007 for EUR 10mn and it was seized in Croatian waters in September 2010 due to violation of customs regulation and the international convention on temporary import. Since the Pink owner did not want to pay EUR 2mn worth of customs duty, the Croatian Customs Administration put the yacht up for sale this week. The initial price is about EUR 3mn, which Mitrovic said was “classic robbery of Serbian property“. Zeljko Mitrovic (FoNet, file) "Unfortunately expressed word" The part of the statement made by Zeljko Mitrovic about his media outlet's "covering-up of incidents" where Serb and other tourists were targeted in Croatia has caused a controversy. Mitrovic himself declined to comment on his decision for B92, but Pink's news desk came out to deny that there was any covering-up of information on their TV. They were responding to criticism about a possible ban on Croatian entertainment voiced by the Independent Association of Journalists (NUNS): "The unfortunately expressed word in the letter sent by our owner, concerning the taking of his property in Croatia, was "cover-up". That word has inflicted more damage to our desk than all your statements put together. Simply, that is not true! The proof lies in a simple check of our archives. Zeljko Mitrovic always insisted on various possibilities for reconciliation in the region. He did what he knew: television, entertainment, and music. That was held against him. When his boat is seized from him, when he is sick, when he is successful, it is all held against him. The news desk is criticized for running a story that is on the front pages of all other (media). We are used to this 'humane" approach from our 'colleagues', we no longer mind the different yardsticks. What we do mind is the attempt to take away the trust enjoyed by the National News, which is watched by millions. We won't allow for that to happen." Mitrovic himself dismissed the criticism and described NUNS as a "small, merry group of volunteers", that will not be allowed to harbor "any censorship ambition". He warned the association to stay away from his television's policy, and described it as a commercial and independent media - while the NUNS criticism, he continued, "could be described as pressure, in civilized media". The Republic Broadcasting Agency (RRA) told B92 that there was "still no legal grounds to start proceedings against the Pink owner", and added that he did not break any laws for which they have powers to enforce. But Vukasin Obradovic of NUNS says that the RRA "cannot idly stand by when someone broadcasts a story in the news bulletin that is on the very verge of professionalism, or goes below. On the other hand, clearly the law about advertising has been broken that guarantees foreigners completely equal treatment compared to domestic physical entities," said he. Along with a ban on Croatian-made entertainment, Mitrovic also stopped running Croatian tourism commercials. Ljiljana Smajlovic of the Association of Journalists on Serbia (UNS) focused on the "cover-up of incidents" angle: "Now that Croats have taken away his yacht, a man who was given national broadcasting permit is telling us he will no longer cover-up the mistreatment of Serb tourists. There's not even the basic fair journalism there. I believe we have all been shamed - us as media professionals, the citizens which are now finding out that their favorite TV is hiding everything that goes against the boss's business and political interests. I cannot imagine how this could be any worse."

Belgrade-based TV station mulls banning Croatian music

Mitrović said in a statement that the outlet's Board of Directors would discuss “banning Croat music and cinematography in all five countries that Pink has its TV stations in”, as well as “special care about quality control of Croatian products outside Croatia”.

“A ban on running Croatian tourism commercials has come in effect and we will never again have an opportunity to cover-up incidents and unpleasant situations faced by Serbian, Bosnian and Montenegrin citizens as they vacation in Croatia,” the release reads.

“I have been trying for years to improve good neighborly relations between Serbia and Croatia through media business that includes promoting Croat music, cinematography and Croat investments in the countries of the former Yugoslavia. I believe that Pink Television has enough media power to establish a better balance in the category of foreign trade disbalance between the two countries,” Mitrović added.

Mitrović’s 32-meter yacht was bought in 2007 for EUR 10mn and it was seized in Croatian waters in September 2010 due to violation of customs regulation and the international convention on temporary import.

Since the Pink owner did not want to pay EUR 2mn worth of customs duty, the Croatian Customs Administration put the yacht up for sale this week. The initial price is about EUR 3mn, which Mitrović said was “classic robbery of Serbian property“.

"Unfortunately expressed word"

The part of the statement made by Željko Mitrović about his media outlet's "covering-up of incidents" where Serb and other tourists were targeted in Croatia has caused a controversy. Mitrović himself declined to comment on his decision for B92, but Pink's news desk came out to deny that there was any covering-up of information on their TV.

They were responding to criticism about a possible ban on Croatian entertainment voiced by the Independent Association of Journalists (NUNS):

"The unfortunately expressed word in the letter sent by our owner, concerning the taking of his property in Croatia, was "cover-up". That word has inflicted more damage to our desk than all your statements put together. Simply, that is not true! The proof lies in a simple check of our archives. Željko Mitrović always insisted on various possibilities for reconciliation in the region. He did what he knew: television, entertainment, and music. That was held against him. When his boat is seized from him, when he is sick, when he is successful, it is all held against him. The news desk is criticized for running a story that is on the front pages of all other (media). We are used to this 'humane" approach from our 'colleagues', we no longer mind the different yardsticks. What we do mind is the attempt to take away the trust enjoyed by the National News, which is watched by millions. We won't allow for that to happen."

Mitrović himself dismissed the criticism and described NUNS as a "small, merry group of volunteers", that will not be allowed to harbor "any censorship ambition".

He warned the association to stay away from his television's policy, and described it as a commercial and independent media - while the NUNS criticism, he continued, "could be described as pressure, in civilized media".

The Republic Broadcasting Agency (RRA) told B92 that there was "still no legal grounds to start proceedings against the Pink owner", and added that he did not break any laws for which they have powers to enforce.

But Vukašin Obradović of NUNS says that the RRA "cannot idly stand by when someone broadcasts a story in the news bulletin that is on the very verge of professionalism, or goes below. On the other hand, clearly the law about advertising has been broken that guarantees foreigners completely equal treatment compared to domestic physical entities," said he.

Along with a ban on Croatian-made entertainment, Mitrović also stopped running Croatian tourism commercials.

Ljiljana Smajlović of the Association of Journalists on Serbia (UNS) focused on the "cover-up of incidents" angle:

"Now that Croats have taken away his yacht, a man who was given national broadcasting permit is telling us he will no longer cover-up the mistreatment of Serb tourists. There's not even the basic fair journalism there. I believe we have all been shamed - us as media professionals, the citizens which are now finding out that their favorite TV is hiding everything that goes against the boss's business and political interests. I cannot imagine how this could be any worse."