Media Study - Medija centar Beograd

media in other European countries. However, there are obvious problems in the implementation and fulfillment of
legal obligations:
The overall efficiency of receiving license fees collection decreased last year to under 50%
The success in collection shows regional differences
o Poor families are not able to cover their monthly budgets (especially in the times of crisis)
o Databases used for collection are maintained by electricity distribution companies and are based
on heterogeneous software platforms of the 5 branches
o The matching of electricity meter to fees for media consumption is ambiguous
o The invoice allows for partial or no payment of fees
The margin covering the collection costs amounts to 6.3% (although it has decreased in last year from
approx. 8%).
Municipal and Minority Council ownership and direct budget allocations to “politically established” bodies are
controversial model, allowing political influence on management and editorial independence. The attempt to
privatize all state owned possessions and enterprises and the later legal provisions for self-government and
support to media broadcasting information to citizens in minority languages have resulted in a confusing and
unbalanced media landscape.
2.7.4 STAKEHOLDER BACKGROUND
2.7.4.1 PUBLIC FUNDING – OVERALL ANNUAL SPENDING IN SERBIA (ESTIMATIONS)
Licence fees
A key threat to RTS viability is the present system for the collection of license fees. License fees are collected
together with the electricity bill by 5 regional electricity companies. In Vojvodina more than 80% households pay
license fees but in the southern regions of Serbia only 10-15% do so, according to RTS. The license fee is linked to
the price index securing that the core budget does not become the subject of annual political discussions.
The collection of license fees has fallen drastically during the crisis. According to the management the total revenue
for public service broadcasting is expected to amount to approximately 50 million euro in 2010 and the commercial
revenue around 35 million euro. This projection implies a reduction in the RTS budget from 118 million in 2008 to
85 million euro in 2010. RTS plans to cut 1000 of its present 3500 employees. A budget cut of this magnitude will be
damaging or fatal to RTS.
The revenue of RTS based on public receiving is decreasing because of the general economic crisis and a decreasing
rate of fee collection.
In 2008 the yearly income of RTS was 13 billion Dinars (today approx. 130 million euro) 59 , out of which:
9 billion were license fee from households and enterprises (90 million euro)
� 2.6 billion represented revenue from advertizing
� 1.4 billion resulted from other commercial (domestic and foreign) activities.
59 Source: http://www.rts.rs/page/rts/sr/javniservis.html, retrieved on April 21 st , 2010, Annual Report of RTS, 2008
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