Minister tells public broadcaster not to hope for EUR 100mn

Minister of Finance and Economy Mlađan Dinkić on Thursday advised Serbia's public broadcaster RTS not to expect the state to set aside EUR 100mn for its needs.

Izvor: B92

Thursday, 07.02.2013.

16:23

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BELGRADE Minister of Finance and Economy Mladjan Dinkic on Thursday advised Serbia's public broadcaster RTS not to expect the state to set aside EUR 100mn for its needs. After telling another state-run enterprise, EPS, that they should not hope for financial assistance from the budget, Dinkic turned his attention to the media outlet, commenting on a statement made earlier by RTS General Director Aleksandar Tijanic, who asserted the company was in need of EUR 100mn. Minister tells public broadcaster not to hope for EUR 100mn According to Dinkic, anyone would be able to manage a television station - if the state gave them EUR 100mn. "They (RTS) are supposed to get some work done, too," the minister remarked. On Monday, the government decided to grant RTS EUR 1.8mn via a zero interest rate loan. Responding to Dinkic, the RTS Collegium on Thursday said that the public company "never asked anyone, the state included, for EUR 100mn", and elaborated: "This is the sum which we secured ourselves until the crisis started, through subscription fees and advertizing. In 2008, we collected EUR 108mn. Last year it was EUR 67mn. The one hundred million number, which Minister Dinkic commented on, is related to the sum of possible fees, then advertizing revenues, and only then, with possible additional funds from the state, we would arrive at a figure necessary for the public service of this size and responsibility to work and survive." RTS further said that Dinkic was "probably aware" that the state was "taking a third of subscription fees immediately for itself through taxes": "It could happen that Serbia will become the sole European country without a public (media) service. Perhaps somebody powerful enough has appraised that what commercial TV stations are offering is enough for Serbia. The nearest public service is in Zagreb. The Croatian state provides it with EUR 200mn each year. Only with that amount of money anybody could manage the Serbian public service too." Mladjan Dinkic (Beta, file) B92 RTS Tanjug

Minister tells public broadcaster not to hope for EUR 100mn

According to Dinkić, anyone would be able to manage a television station - if the state gave them EUR 100mn.

"They (RTS) are supposed to get some work done, too," the minister remarked.

On Monday, the government decided to grant RTS EUR 1.8mn via a zero interest rate loan.

Responding to Dinkić, the RTS Collegium on Thursday said that the public company "never asked anyone, the state included, for EUR 100mn", and elaborated:

"This is the sum which we secured ourselves until the crisis started, through subscription fees and advertizing. In 2008, we collected EUR 108mn. Last year it was EUR 67mn. The one hundred million number, which Minister Dinkić commented on, is related to the sum of possible fees, then advertizing revenues, and only then, with possible additional funds from the state, we would arrive at a figure necessary for the public service of this size and responsibility to work and survive."

RTS further said that Dinkić was "probably aware" that the state was "taking a third of subscription fees immediately for itself through taxes":

"It could happen that Serbia will become the sole European country without a public (media) service. Perhaps somebody powerful enough has appraised that what commercial TV stations are offering is enough for Serbia. The nearest public service is in Zagreb. The Croatian state provides it with EUR 200mn each year. Only with that amount of money anybody could manage the Serbian public service too."

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