22. 01. 2005

FINANCIAL PROBLEMS FOR TV SMEDEREVO

SMEDEREVO, January 22, 2005 (Politika) – Smederevo public broadcaster TV Smederevo is facing significant financial problems because of high debts to associates and staff, Politika reports. The total debt is believed to be about 13.5 million dinars (about 170,000 euros), with an urgent need for 3.3 million dinars. Staff salaries are three months in arrears and fees have not been paid to associates for four months. In addition to its financial problems, the broadcaster is also faced with a situation of redundant staff. “The staff have not yet received their pay for October and fees have not been paid to associates since September 2004,” said the company’s new acting director Vesna Vitorovic, adding that she did not know when these would be paid. “We have a monthly subsidy of 600,000 dinars from the Smederevo Municipality, which is the station’s proprietor. That, or very slightly more, is our total monthly income. However wages, fees, general expenses and other overheads amount to 1,300,000 dinars monthly. We have managed to find sources for the purchase of new equipment, because at the moment we are operating with only two cameras. Our main problems are the outstanding debts from the past two years but, at the moment, there is no way in which we can cover this,” said Vitorovic. The company, which is the only local broadcaster in the area, has 73 full time employees, of whom thirty are seen as redundant. Former acting director Dragan Kosovac, who was recently relieved of his duties, increased the full time staff levels by fourteen last year. The broadcaster, which operates as a municipal television station, also employs people on contractual agreements which oblige them to work each day.