Serbia cable operator expands without permission south of Ibër

The N1 television programme, which is one of the rare television programmes with a critical attitude towards authorities in Serbia, owned by The United Group, can no longer be seen in Kosovo's heavily populated Serb environments. This is the result of the transaction conducted by MTS, a subsidiary of Serbia's Telekom, which purchased all cable operators covering Serb-run municipalities south of the Iber River.

The transaction was confirmed on 7 October by Serbia's Telekom General Director Vdalmir Lluciq. He declared to the Serbian news agency “Tanjug” that MTS d.o.o., a subsidiary of Serbia's Telekom, took over “all cable operators at the Serbian facilities in Kosovo”.

MTS d.o.o. It is a company founded in 2015, under the Brussels Agreement between Kosovo and Serbia. At the helm of this company are mainly people who are close to the current power in Serbia, while Serbia's Telekom is founder, with 100 per cent participation.

After the purchase, in 2019 of all major operators in northern Kosovo, where majority Serb populations live, the same has already been done with cable operators operating in Serb-dominated areas south of the Iber River.

But, the Independent Kosovo Media Commission (KPM) claims that MTS is not the only operator operating in the majority Serb environments in Kosovo, and adds that the recent request of the operator Herc, to transfer its competencies to the MTS company, has not been approved.

Is MTS d.o.o the only operator?

Herc, who is one of the biggest cable operators on the southern side of the Iber River, has handed over her business to MTS d.o.o company, which, besides N1, immediately removed the Nova S Channel, which is also owned by The United Group.

However, this second channel, meanwhile, has returned and is accessible to viewers in the central part of Kosovo.

In Hertz Company, they didn't want to give any statements about Radio Free Europe, with the explanation that “MTS d.o.o. Now he is responsible for all the” statements, although only a few days ago they told local KIM Radio Television from Caglavica, in the vicinity of Pristina, that N1 and Nova S were excluded from the offer for <x2) technical”).

Is a permit given?

Kosovo Independent Media Commission (KPM) confirmed to Radio Free Europe that a few months ago it received a request from operator “BB Herc”, headquartered in Shtrpce, this Serb-run residential municipality, to transfer its ownership to MTS d.o.o, but this commission has stressed that it <x3rkes were rejected due to incomplete documentation”.

Independent Commission for Media states that MTS d.o.o.o. It is not the only operator operating in the Serb-run populated environments in Kosovo, but that four other licensed operators exist.

From this commission stress that regulation for distribution of audio and audio-visual media services stipulates that operators, without compensation, should broadcast public service channels, as well as other commercial land transmission channels, which have mandatory transmission status.

“Options of audio-visual media services with local and regional land broadcasts enjoy mandatory transmission status through all distribution operators operating in that municipality or the current” region, says the KPM. /Full text in REL/