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For regular media information, see the ANEM weekly media updates www.anem.org.yu
or the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network BIRN www.birn.eu.com
Latest News & Updates
ANEM WEEKLY MEDIA UPDATE
Serbia, 31-05-05, ANEM
May 31-June 07, 2005:
MEDIA GROUP SUES MINISTER
BELGRADE, June 2, 2005 (Beta) Two groups of minority shareholders of the Novosti media company have announced that they will be taking Minister of Economy Predrag Bubalo to court.
The charges are being brought up by the Novosti 2004 shareholders union and the Novosti small shareholders association, who together represent about 60 percent of the company small shareholders, and say that Bubalo is “putting obvious pressure on the Securities Commission.”
President of Novosti 2004, Momir Cabarkapa, said that Bubalo “is trying to do what Slobodan Milosevic was not able to; nationalize the Novosti company.”
“In a letter to Milko Stimac, president of the Securities Commission, Bubalo calls into question the privatization of Novosti by using legal measures that the Milosevic had implemented on the media company on March 2, 2000”, Cabarkapa said.
According to him, the company’s assembly scheduled for June 4 would not be affected.
On the other hand, the Economy Ministry has released a statement saying that “all share-selling activity for the Novosti company should be put to a stop.”
“There are legal problems that exist with the Novosti company, which is why all activity related to the selling and buying of company shares should be ended”, Bubalo said in the letter which he had sent to Stimac.
He added that “with the ruling of the High Court of Commerce on February 16, 2000, the documentation for economic and ownership transformation was deemed void and an analysis of invested capital in the Novosti company was ordered. On the basis of this, all work related to the confirmation of the total worth of the company’s capital and its distribution was made void as well”, Bubalo said.
NEW WALKOUTS IN BBC
LONDON, June 2, 2005 (Beta) Unions of the British media house BBC warn of new walkouts of the staff.
Unions Amicus and Bectu noted that the proposals of the BBC management and Director General Mark Thompson were not enough, demanding new talks and warranties from the management on their plan to cut 3.780 jobs.
Should the negotiations fail, and the agreement not reached, the unions would organize new strike, said the Bectu secretary, Jeremy Dir.
The last walkout was organized on May 23, 2005, with estimated figure of 13 to 15 thousand workers protesting over the planned 4.000 job cuts out of total of 27.000 employed in this media outlet.
MINORITY MEDIA PRIVATE
NOVI SAD, June 2, 2005 (Danas) Information Secretary of the Province Milorad Djuric stated yesterday that the process of transforming minority media public companies to private media outlets has been concluded.
At the meeting held yesterday, Vojvodina Executive Council has adopted the information on ownership transformation in public companies the Vojvodina Parliament to national councils in line with legal regulations.
The provincial government has also adopted the information on RTV Novi Sad. The proposed solutions should improve the position and work quality of this media outlet, which copes with difficult conditions for a long time, operating with old equipment and in inadequate facilities.
The Council has proposed to the RTS Managing Board to appoint new members from Vojvodina to the Program Council of this media. This would also contribute to the transformation of the RTV Novi Sad into provincial public service.
The Vojvodina Parliament noted that the agricultural and food industries were among the most important economical and export capacities, not only in Vojvodina but also in the entire country, adding that the position of all people in the province depended greatly on their quality, fast revitalization and business improvement.
In order to improve the processing industry, it is necessary to ensure new investments, high-quality goods, efficacy, as well as new export arrangements, since there are many unexploited markets.
Beside sugar and edible oil, the beer is also on the list of the most exported products in 2004 in Vojvodina (25 million dollars worth of goods exported in the last year). It is necessary to provide sufficient quantities of the high-quality goods in order to further improve the export, but also the safety in primary production.
NOVOSTI CASE: HOLD ON
BELGRADE, June 3, 2005 (B92) Parliament’s Council for Privatisation proposed to the Serbian government that all activities related to the privatization of the Novosti Company should be suspended until the total value of the company’s capital is established.
The proposal of the Council, however, was not obligatory to the Commission of Securities which would, according to its president Milko Stimac, declare their decision on recently received proposal from the German “WAC” that had bought 50 percent of “Politika” shares.
Stimac said that Serbia and Montenegro owned 30 percent of the company Novosti, while the rest of the company remained in the ownership of small shareholders.
“The Commission must stick to the presumption that the central register contains valid data, which was the starting point in the process of privatization and in deciding on the sale of Novosti Company.”
Novosti Director and Editor-in-Chief Manojlo Vukotic also demanded the evaluation of ownership in Novosti, which entered the process of privatization during nineties.
“The decision of the federal government, that capital of Novosti should be divided on 70-30 ratio, is not a value assessment, but pure political and compromising decision”, said Vukotic.
Minister of Economy Predrag Bubalo confirmed to B92 that he had demanded the suspension of the process of ownership transformation of the company, in order to form a majority of shares which would then be offered in bidding.
“I have realized that it would be better to hold on for a moment and solve certain issues first, and then to proceed in the best interest for small shareholders and in order to protect interests of both parties”, Bubalo said.
Small shareholders of the company Novosti stated that “WAC” offered 2.000 Euros per share as minimal price, thus estimating the value of entire company on 13, 5 million Euros.
INVESTIGATION IN KRAGUJEVAC: PETAKOVIC AND KARADZIC DENYING ACCUSATIONS AND CLAIMING POLITICIZATION OF THE CASE
KRAGUJEVAC, June 7, 2005 (ANEM) The Kragujevac District Court has launched an investigation of Predrag Petakovic, former director of RTV Kragujevac and Goran Karadzic, Chairman of the business association Serbian Television Network and member of the Broadcast Council, for alleged misappropriation of donor funds.
Both Petakovic and Karadzic have denied the accusations, claiming the politicization of the case. They have given the statements to the Kragujevac Court investigative magistrate.
Despite the fact that the Court demanded detention for Petakovic and Karadzic, the Council of Judges had decided to release them after the hearing.
The Kragujevac Court investigative magistrate Dubravka Damjanovic told media that Petakovic, current deputy director of the Serbian Television Network, is suspected to have signed a harmful annex of the contract on cooperation with Cable Distributive System (KDS) in early 2002 while he was director of the RTV Kragujevac.
Petakovic is suspected of damaging RTV Kragujevac for approximately 30 million of dinars and of misappropriation of 8,4 thousand euros which he received from the organization Forum for South East Europe as a deputy director of the Serbian Television Network. The funds were received as a donation for the program “Arena” to be broadcast on the television stations, members of the Network.
Petakovic is also suspected of allegedly misappropriating 8,2 million dinars from August 1999 to September 2001, while he was deputy director of TV Kragujevac, and in the period of November 2000 to September 2004, when he was the director of this media. According to the judge, part of the donor funds was received through ANEM.
Damjanovic also said that Goran Karadzic, president of the Serbian Television Network Assembly, had allegedly misappropriated 8.400 euros received as a donation from the Forum for South East Europe for broadcasting the program “Arena”.
Speaking for B92, Predrag Petakovic said that all allegations were ungrounded and politicized. These accusations were politically motivated, since the current executive authority in Kragujevac headed by the mayor Veroljub Stevanovic, is settling scores with members of the Democratic Party in this Central Serbian town.
Goran Karadzic, member of the Broadcast Council, has also denied allegations claiming that the case was motivated solely by political reasons.
The Broadcast Council will discuss the investigation of Goran Karadzic, nominated by the Vojvodina Parliament for the Council member, for alleged misuse of donor funds on Wednesday.
ANEM statement
POLITICISED INVESTIGATION OF FORMER DIRECTOR OF RTV KRAGUJEVAC
BELGRADE, June 6, 2005 It has come to the notice of the Association of Independent Electronic Media that Kragujevac Court investigating magistrate Dubravka Damjanovic has launched an investigation of Predrag Petakovic, the former director of ANEM member Radio Television Kragujevac. Mr. Petakovic is also vice-chairman of this Association’s Management Board. The investigation concerns alleged misappropriation of funds from donations, among other matters, and ANEM has been mentioned in this context.
ANEM wishes to remind the public of certain facts that marked the period in which the Serbian electronic media fought repression by the regime of Slobodan Milosevic and campaigned for democratic change, as well as the role it had in this period. The Association has good reason to be proud of its record in this struggle.
As part of its activities during this difficult period, ANEM brought the independent and professional media in Serbia together and helped its members to make contact with donors who were able and willing to help. However at no point were funds actually channeled through ANEM and it is well known that donors monitored the spending of these funds closely. Had there been any case of such funds being misused, ANEM would have been the first to receive a complaint. Such a complaint has never been received by this association from any donor concerning Radio Television Kragujevac or any ANEM member.
During Predrag Petakovic’s tenure, first as deputy director then as director, Radio Television Kragujevac was transformed into a respected and popular station which was frequently cited as an example of a professional and high-quality broadcaster with serious prospects for successful privatization and further development. The ANEM Assembly has twice shown its confidence in Mr. Petakovic, electing him first as a member and then as a member and vice-chairman of the Managing Board.
ANEM is particularly concerned by the potential for politicization of this case. We have repeatedly warned of the delay in privatization of local public broadcasters which are operated by municipal and city assemblies, as is Radio Television Kragujevac. Such delays lead to dismissals motivated solely by political reasons, of entire managements in the wake of local elections and to the exploitation and abuse of media for political purposes. Predrag Petakovic was dismissed for political reasons after the last local elections and the change of local government in Kragujevac. That dismissal has now been followed by an investigation of the former director for alleged misappropriation of donor funds while he was deputy director. We note that the former director of Radio Television Kragujevac under whom Petakovic served as deputy is involved in the case only as a witness. The fact that the party to which this witness belongs is now back in power in Kragujevac and that the party to which Mr. Petakovic belongs is now opposition in the city makes us concerned that this case may have a political background.
While not wanting in any way to prejudice the outcome of these proceedings, ANEM notes that the investigation of Petakovic will also be a real test of the independence of the Serbian judiciary. We would like to believe that the judiciary is up to this test.
MEDIA GROUP SUES MINISTER
BELGRADE, June 2, 2005 (Beta) Two groups of minority shareholders of the Novosti media company have announced that they will be taking Minister of Economy Predrag Bubalo to court.
The charges are being brought up by the Novosti 2004 shareholders union and the Novosti small shareholders association, who together represent about 60 percent of the company small shareholders, and say that Bubalo is “putting obvious pressure on the Securities Commission.”
President of Novosti 2004, Momir Cabarkapa, said that Bubalo “is trying to do what Slobodan Milosevic was not able to; nationalize the Novosti company.”
“In a letter to Milko Stimac, president of the Securities Commission, Bubalo calls into question the privatization of Novosti by using legal measures that the Milosevic had implemented on the media company on March 2, 2000”, Cabarkapa said.
According to him, the company’s assembly scheduled for June 4 would not be affected.
On the other hand, the Economy Ministry has released a statement saying that “all share-selling activity for the Novosti company should be put to a stop.”
“There are legal problems that exist with the Novosti company, which is why all activity related to the selling and buying of company shares should be ended”, Bubalo said in the letter which he had sent to Stimac.
He added that “with the ruling of the High Court of Commerce on February 16, 2000, the documentation for economic and ownership transformation was deemed void and an analysis of invested capital in the Novosti company was ordered. On the basis of this, all work related to the confirmation of the total worth of the company’s capital and its distribution was made void as well”, Bubalo said.
NEW WALKOUTS IN BBC
LONDON, June 2, 2005 (Beta) Unions of the British media house BBC warn of new walkouts of the staff.
Unions Amicus and Bectu noted that the proposals of the BBC management and Director General Mark Thompson were not enough, demanding new talks and warranties from the management on their plan to cut 3.780 jobs.
Should the negotiations fail, and the agreement not reached, the unions would organize new strike, said the Bectu secretary, Jeremy Dir.
The last walkout was organized on May 23, 2005, with estimated figure of 13 to 15 thousand workers protesting over the planned 4.000 job cuts out of total of 27.000 employed in this media outlet.
MINORITY MEDIA PRIVATE
NOVI SAD, June 2, 2005 (Danas) Information Secretary of the Province Milorad Djuric stated yesterday that the process of transforming minority media public companies to private media outlets has been concluded.
At the meeting held yesterday, Vojvodina Executive Council has adopted the information on ownership transformation in public companies the Vojvodina Parliament to national councils in line with legal regulations.
The provincial government has also adopted the information on RTV Novi Sad. The proposed solutions should improve the position and work quality of this media outlet, which copes with difficult conditions for a long time, operating with old equipment and in inadequate facilities.
The Council has proposed to the RTS Managing Board to appoint new members from Vojvodina to the Program Council of this media. This would also contribute to the transformation of the RTV Novi Sad into provincial public service.
The Vojvodina Parliament noted that the agricultural and food industries were among the most important economical and export capacities, not only in Vojvodina but also in the entire country, adding that the position of all people in the province depended greatly on their quality, fast revitalization and business improvement.
In order to improve the processing industry, it is necessary to ensure new investments, high-quality goods, efficacy, as well as new export arrangements, since there are many unexploited markets.
Beside sugar and edible oil, the beer is also on the list of the most exported products in 2004 in Vojvodina (25 million dollars worth of goods exported in the last year). It is necessary to provide sufficient quantities of the high-quality goods in order to further improve the export, but also the safety in primary production.
NOVOSTI CASE: HOLD ON
BELGRADE, June 3, 2005 (B92) Parliament’s Council for Privatisation proposed to the Serbian government that all activities related to the privatization of the Novosti Company should be suspended until the total value of the company’s capital is established.
The proposal of the Council, however, was not obligatory to the Commission of Securities which would, according to its president Milko Stimac, declare their decision on recently received proposal from the German “WAC” that had bought 50 percent of “Politika” shares.
Stimac said that Serbia and Montenegro owned 30 percent of the company Novosti, while the rest of the company remained in the ownership of small shareholders.
“The Commission must stick to the presumption that the central register contains valid data, which was the starting point in the process of privatization and in deciding on the sale of Novosti Company.”
Novosti Director and Editor-in-Chief Manojlo Vukotic also demanded the evaluation of ownership in Novosti, which entered the process of privatization during nineties.
“The decision of the federal government, that capital of Novosti should be divided on 70-30 ratio, is not a value assessment, but pure political and compromising decision”, said Vukotic.
Minister of Economy Predrag Bubalo confirmed to B92 that he had demanded the suspension of the process of ownership transformation of the company, in order to form a majority of shares which would then be offered in bidding.
“I have realized that it would be better to hold on for a moment and solve certain issues first, and then to proceed in the best interest for small shareholders and in order to protect interests of both parties”, Bubalo said.
Small shareholders of the company Novosti stated that “WAC” offered 2.000 Euros per share as minimal price, thus estimating the value of entire company on 13, 5 million Euros.
INVESTIGATION IN KRAGUJEVAC: PETAKOVIC AND KARADZIC DENYING ACCUSATIONS AND CLAIMING POLITICIZATION OF THE CASE
KRAGUJEVAC, June 7, 2005 (ANEM) The Kragujevac District Court has launched an investigation of Predrag Petakovic, former director of RTV Kragujevac and Goran Karadzic, Chairman of the business association Serbian Television Network and member of the Broadcast Council, for alleged misappropriation of donor funds.
Both Petakovic and Karadzic have denied the accusations, claiming the politicization of the case. They have given the statements to the Kragujevac Court investigative magistrate.
Despite the fact that the Court demanded detention for Petakovic and Karadzic, the Council of Judges had decided to release them after the hearing.
The Kragujevac Court investigative magistrate Dubravka Damjanovic told media that Petakovic, current deputy director of the Serbian Television Network, is suspected to have signed a harmful annex of the contract on cooperation with Cable Distributive System (KDS) in early 2002 while he was director of the RTV Kragujevac.
Petakovic is suspected of damaging RTV Kragujevac for approximately 30 million of dinars and of misappropriation of 8,4 thousand euros which he received from the organization Forum for South East Europe as a deputy director of the Serbian Television Network. The funds were received as a donation for the program “Arena” to be broadcast on the television stations, members of the Network.
Petakovic is also suspected of allegedly misappropriating 8,2 million dinars from August 1999 to September 2001, while he was deputy director of TV Kragujevac, and in the period of November 2000 to September 2004, when he was the director of this media. According to the judge, part of the donor funds was received through ANEM.
Damjanovic also said that Goran Karadzic, president of the Serbian Television Network Assembly, had allegedly misappropriated 8.400 euros received as a donation from the Forum for South East Europe for broadcasting the program “Arena”.
Speaking for B92, Predrag Petakovic said that all allegations were ungrounded and politicized. These accusations were politically motivated, since the current executive authority in Kragujevac headed by the mayor Veroljub Stevanovic, is settling scores with members of the Democratic Party in this Central Serbian town.
Goran Karadzic, member of the Broadcast Council, has also denied allegations claiming that the case was motivated solely by political reasons.
The Broadcast Council will discuss the investigation of Goran Karadzic, nominated by the Vojvodina Parliament for the Council member, for alleged misuse of donor funds on Wednesday.
ANEM statement
POLITICISED INVESTIGATION OF FORMER DIRECTOR OF RTV KRAGUJEVAC
BELGRADE, June 6, 2005 It has come to the notice of the Association of Independent Electronic Media that Kragujevac Court investigating magistrate Dubravka Damjanovic has launched an investigation of Predrag Petakovic, the former director of ANEM member Radio Television Kragujevac. Mr. Petakovic is also vice-chairman of this Association’s Management Board. The investigation concerns alleged misappropriation of funds from donations, among other matters, and ANEM has been mentioned in this context.
ANEM wishes to remind the public of certain facts that marked the period in which the Serbian electronic media fought repression by the regime of Slobodan Milosevic and campaigned for democratic change, as well as the role it had in this period. The Association has good reason to be proud of its record in this struggle.
As part of its activities during this difficult period, ANEM brought the independent and professional media in Serbia together and helped its members to make contact with donors who were able and willing to help. However at no point were funds actually channeled through ANEM and it is well known that donors monitored the spending of these funds closely. Had there been any case of such funds being misused, ANEM would have been the first to receive a complaint. Such a complaint has never been received by this association from any donor concerning Radio Television Kragujevac or any ANEM member.
During Predrag Petakovic’s tenure, first as deputy director then as director, Radio Television Kragujevac was transformed into a respected and popular station which was frequently cited as an example of a professional and high-quality broadcaster with serious prospects for successful privatization and further development. The ANEM Assembly has twice shown its confidence in Mr. Petakovic, electing him first as a member and then as a member and vice-chairman of the Managing Board.
ANEM is particularly concerned by the potential for politicization of this case. We have repeatedly warned of the delay in privatization of local public broadcasters which are operated by municipal and city assemblies, as is Radio Television Kragujevac. Such delays lead to dismissals motivated solely by political reasons, of entire managements in the wake of local elections and to the exploitation and abuse of media for political purposes. Predrag Petakovic was dismissed for political reasons after the last local elections and the change of local government in Kragujevac. That dismissal has now been followed by an investigation of the former director for alleged misappropriation of donor funds while he was deputy director. We note that the former director of Radio Television Kragujevac under whom Petakovic served as deputy is involved in the case only as a witness. The fact that the party to which this witness belongs is now back in power in Kragujevac and that the party to which Mr. Petakovic belongs is now opposition in the city makes us concerned that this case may have a political background.
While not wanting in any way to prejudice the outcome of these proceedings, ANEM notes that the investigation of Petakovic will also be a real test of the independence of the Serbian judiciary. We would like to believe that the judiciary is up to this test.
News and Updates before 2004 are listed in our archive (old webpage)
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