01. 06. 2004

Court officials delay transmitter switch-on

VALJEVO, June 1, 2004 – Officials of the Valjevo Commercial Court have delayed putting transmitters for regional television TVA on Maljen and Promaja into service. The activation of the transmitters was to have been carried out at 8.30 a.m. yesterday under a temporary order of the court."The temporary order to activate our transmitters was not implemented, the Trade Court officials told us yesterday at 8.30 a.m. because, they alleged, we ‘failed to arrive on time’," said TVA journalist Predrag Lucic. On May 7, Commercial Court judge Srecko Timotic handed down the temporary order that Radio Television Serbia (RTS) should activate TVA’s transmitters on Maljen and Promaja "immediately", saying that any objection from the state television "must not be used to delay the execution of the court’s decision". Because RTS failed to take action under the decision, Judge Timotic, on May 27, issued a "ruling on the execution of the temporary order", ordering that TVA’s transmitters be activated at 8.30 a.m. yesterday. TVA’s transmitter on Promaja, located in the Pecina excursion centre, has been disabled since April 29, and that on Maljen was adjusted several months earlier to carry RTS Channel 3. In a building on Promaja shared by TVA and RTS, staff of the state media removed a sound and video mixer "for repairs". Because of this, even if the transmitters are returned to Valjevo TVA, the station will be forced to broadcast its program from computers. The new date for execution of the court order is June 7, at 8.30 a.m.