The Sky is Crying

Judging by the fact that there are 46 local TV stations in Serbia and Montenegro (including cable), television here is not exclusively under the control of the Radio-Television Serbia (RTS) system. The expansion of local TV does not affect the political influence of the RTS (via its three channels) because most local stations are firmly commercial: using all existing (foreign) satellite channels (mainly entertainment) and adding folk elements and strictly local information (market prices, supplies, traffic).

Nis has four local TV stations. Three of them have regular programming and the fourth is just broadcasting a test signal. TV 5 is the strongest of them and the most popular. Its programming is aimed at audiences aged between seven and seventy-seven, with a heavy accent on local information. Its programming includes everything a TV station is expected to have: religion, culture, new movies, children's shows. TV 5 editor-in-chief Slavica Corbic cooperates closely with Belgrade's Art Channel and is obviously trying hard to give her programming culture. TV Banker is a station aimed at young audiences. Owner Goran Radojkic (a former professional driver) is an urbanite who adapted his programming to the rock 'n' roll generation: no folk or lengthy local news. They show the latest movies and have an ambitious marketing agency. They have no studios.

NAIS TV - Culture Channel (their full name) shows movies, commercials and lots of service information. Their specialty is good copies of excellent movies with music videos between films.

Unlike Nis, Uzice has just one local station: TV 5 owned by Predrag Kovacevic, a former DJ and owner of several video clubs. His 24 hour programming includes 18 hours of satellite rebroadcasts: MTV, cartoons, entertainment. This station's own programming is made up of local news.

Cacak residents can choose between two local TV stations: Galaksija and Spectrum. Spectrum has an operating licence, while Galaksija's is still being processed. The owners want to remain anonymous probably because they're declared businessmen, not politicians. Both stations mainly air music, films and service information. Most of the music is folk, while films are shown in agreement with local video clubs. They are non-political, but all parties had paid advertisements on them at the last elections.

The actual goings-on at TV Antena in Jagodina, where the editor-in-chief and his staff had a good choice of young female talent, was first stated publicly by Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) parliament deputy Boban Filipovic in a parliament debate. He quoted several anonymous letters from employees of the local station. Those letters gave numerous examples of the abuse of the young (female) workforce by editor Radoslav Nikolic. We don't know whether this was the cause or orders from Belgrade, but the opposition hasn't been seen on TV Antena since 1993 when Filipovic and Dobrivoje Budimirovic got into an argument and fight after a live appearance.

The station was nicknamed "Fight at Mane's" as confirmation that the color toy, spiced with sweet smiles and guests who always agreed with journalists, can be dangerous, not just entertaining, to housewives who keep it turned on all day. The next fight at Antena almost ended fatally when Milovan Petrovic Beli stabbed cameraman Nebojsa Ristic.

Subotica got a local TV station which only aired travel shows, serials, movies and local news. TV K-23's owners decided firmly that they wanted no part of politics. That decision was enough to cause the Subotica phone company, whose cable system was used to broadcast K-23, to turn the station off. There was no official or convincing explanation, but K-23 was switched off on April 23, 1992, the same day that SUPER TV started airing on the same cable system. It has offices and studios in RTS Novi Sad's bureau. SUPER TV editor in chief proudly says that it is the only RTS cable system in the country. It has 10,000 subscribers who can choose from 27 foreign channels.

A large part of the population in Baranja and Backa (Vojvodina) watched RTV Beli Manastir, mainly because of its good films, but when K-23 started airing four hours of programs on its channel, the Beli Manastir phone company switched them off, allegedly because their signal was weak. The signal was strong enough for two years.

In Kragujevac, just one of the three local TV stations operates. Of the other two, one exists only on paper and the other, state-owned, operates illegally. Two years ago Kanal 9 TV opened. It operates non-stop; partly with its own productions, but mainly with satellite rebroadcasts. There's a lot of sports, music and movies.

Krusevac was one of the first towns in Serbia to get its local TV on June 28, 1991 when the local newspaper Pobeda starting airing its programming. Slavoljub Milosevic, director of both Pobeda and the TV, says they air nine hours of their own production daily thanks to a staff of 50 people. They also air movies, serials, folk music, advertisements and satellite programs. Their news comes from Radio Krusevac.

Krusevac has since gotten another station - Kanal 12, a pirate station which operates out of an orphanage.

The Ibarske Novosti newspaper in Kraljevo started its local TV two years ago. Twice a week, radio journalists spoke in front of cameras. The experiment soon turned into a serious business with rebroadcasts of TV Politika and several hours of their own production. The newspaper and station were founded by the local community, but surprisingly there is no interference. Their Danas news show airs satellite news reports.

Valjevo got its station in 1989. The rumor is that it cost the local economy a bundle.

Belgrade (Local) TV

Besides the well-known NTV Studio B and TV Politika, Belgrade also has TV Palma (exclusively turbo-folk, with occasional pop music and films), TV Pink (similar, but more radically pro-folk), Art Channel (culture and serious movies), BK Telekom (predicted to become the "best TV in town" by director Aleksandar Tijanic), KBM (just a test signal for over a year now) and as of recently TV Ponos (aired on channel four from one in the morning to five; exclusively religious because of its author, main actor and director Bishop Anastasije Jeftic, the horribly produced program is aired from somewhere in central Belgrade.)