13-04-2009

Slovenian parliament will discuss about underfund public broadcaster

By Matevz Rudolf
    In culture committee meeting in Slovenian parliament participants agreed that there should be a wider discussion about public Broadcaster (http://www.rtv.si/) about underfund situation and its organizing structure.

    Despite that RTV director Anton Guzej stated that RTV in year 2008: "all funds were used rationally and revision shows that we did not have negative financial scheme. In last four years we received the same amount of money and each year we haven't spend more than we got, even though many other public institutions had big troubles because of this." When Guzej started his function, RTV had around 5 millions € debt. Today, as he is assuring, there is no debt for this TV station.

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    Because of the financial crises public Broadcaster will be forced to look for new ways to cut costs on all levels. The number of employees at RTV will have to be reduced for 100 workers. The plan is that at the end of the year there will be 1900 employees at RTV. Some of honorary workers already lost their contract with RTV at the end of last year.

    RTV is expecting that due to the hard economical times they will gain 10 to 15 % less money form advertising. The sum of the money form advertising is expected to be around 20 millions €. Anyway, the income of RTV in 2009 is expected to be around 120 millions (which is 1,4 % higher than last year because of the announced higher subscription for one euro on monthly basis, which must be paid by all Slovenian housekeeping that are owing TV. This will bring 5 millions EUR more from subscriptions than last year. The subscription is representing around 70% of all income of RTV budget.

    There is no plan for bigger changes or reducing quality of program scheme even though they will be very careful with cost of all productions at RTV, but as many commentators warns, changes in financing scheme are necessary for a long-term. Minister of culture already named a group of specialist that will prepare the draft for new law about public Broadcaster, which will, as she is stressing out, bring more democratic organization at RVT. Beside that she confirmed the RTV subscription raise.