09. 12. 2004

MUNICIPALITY IN SKIRMISH WITH BROADCASTER

KURSUMLIJA, December 9, 2004 (B92) – The long running skirmish between TV Kursumlija and the municipal council in the south Serbian town of the same name is continuing. The squabble began when the broadcaster, which supported the election campaign of a defeated candidate in recent local government elections, has been running for almost a month, B92’s Kursumlija correspondent, Ljiljana Danilovic reports. The council made a unilateral decision to terminate a financing agreement for TV Kursumlija’s news program which has been broadcast for the past year, claiming that the station was not registered. The company was then visited by state auditors and Labour and Trade inspectors. TV Kursumlija editor-in-chief Slavko Savic described the decision as a settling of scores with the station by the new municipal authorities. “The first inspection resulted in a ruling on a fine of 150,000 dinars (about 1,900 euros). The other two fines from the Labour and Market inspectors are yet to arrive,” said Savic.