Tycoon's ex-associate talks pressure on media

Delta Holding owner Miroslav Miskovic was "influencing the media", says his former close associate Milka Forcan. Forcan left Serbia's largest privately owned company several months ago amid acrimony over a share in its ownership, and has now confided in Belgrade's Kurir tabloid that Delta spent millions of euros every year to exert its influence on the media. Tycoon's ex-associate talks pressure on media This influence is evident in what news media outlets feel free to carry, she explained. Previously, Forcan mad statements for the press to accuse Miskovic of being "extreme", and said her former boss threatened her. "My experience says that big companies and big players have serious funds that they spend on the media. Besides, personal relations and quality of the team that gets it done are important. Today the image of the media clearly shows which news they dare carry, and which ones they do not," said she. As for the ties with political parties, Forcan said they existed, "but are liable to change". "It isn't like it used to be. Processes cannot be held in complete blockade, you can't tie all the loose ends. Once you could do that," she explained. However, Journalists Association of Serbia (UNS) President Ljiljana Smajlovic says Forcan knew about this influence on the media, and took part in it. While she was Politika newspaper's editor-in-chief in 2007, Smajlovic wrote an article entitled "Pressure and torture", to reveal that Miskovic had personally phoned her editors and journalists, unhappy with their reporting about his company. "While I was with Politika, Miskovic and Forcan were unhappy and they canceled Delta's advertising in Politika," Smajlovic said, and added that she reported the content of her meetings with Forcan to the newspaper's board, and that she was now unimpressed by Forcan's alleged u-turn. Independent Journalists Association of Serbia (NUNS) President Vukasin Obradovic believes that it was precisely Forcan who was in charge of pressuring the media, and says the clash between her and Miskovic is unlikely free of politics. Transparency Serbia's Nemanja Nenadic stated it was "clear" that tycoons used ownership and advertising to control the media, and that Forcan's latest statements should be used to examine tycoons' ties with politicians. B92 could not get a statement from Milka Forcan on Saturday, while Delta Holding said they had no comment regarding her latest accusations. A file photo of Forcan and Miskovic (FoNet)

Tycoon's ex-associate talks pressure on media

This influence is evident in what news media outlets feel free to carry, she explained.

Previously, Forcan mad statements for the press to accuse Mišković of being "extreme", and said her former boss threatened her.

"My experience says that big companies and big players have serious funds that they spend on the media. Besides, personal relations and quality of the team that gets it done are important. Today the image of the media clearly shows which news they dare carry, and which ones they do not," said she.

As for the ties with political parties, Forcan said they existed, "but are liable to change".

"It isn't like it used to be. Processes cannot be held in complete blockade, you can't tie all the loose ends. Once you could do that," she explained.

However, Journalists Association of Serbia (UNS) President Ljiljana Smajlović says Forcan knew about this influence on the media, and took part in it.

While she was Politika newspaper's editor-in-chief in 2007, Smajlović wrote an article entitled "Pressure and torture", to reveal that Mišković had personally phoned her editors and journalists, unhappy with their reporting about his company.

"While I was with Politika, Mišković and Forcan were unhappy and they canceled Delta's advertising in Politika," Smajlović said, and added that she reported the content of her meetings with Forcan to the newspaper's board, and that she was now unimpressed by Forcan's alleged u-turn.

Independent Journalists Association of Serbia (NUNS) President Vukašin Obradović believes that it was precisely Forcan who was in charge of pressuring the media, and says the clash between her and Mišković is unlikely free of politics.

Transparency Serbia's Nemanja Nenadić stated it was "clear" that tycoons used ownership and advertising to control the media, and that Forcan's latest statements should be used to examine tycoons' ties with politicians.

B92 could not get a statement from Milka Forcan on Saturday, while Delta Holding said they had no comment regarding her latest accusations.