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focus on CEEPROGRAMMING NEEDSARE SECRET IN MOSTCEE TV STATIONSBy Milica Vasic, Rastislav Durman and CEE Media Journalists Network"Thanks for including us in your research," was written in the more than halfof the emails we received, "but, we cannot disclose any information aboutprogramming acquired this year, nor what programming we plan to acquirein 2008."Back in Budapest, in June 2007,we were planning the content offuture issues of DISCOP.Link and wethought that a column highlighting currentand future foreign programmingneeds would be of interest to DISCOPparticipants - both for content and formatbuyers and sellers. After eightweeks of research in twenty Centraland Eastern European Countries' TVstations, and more than two hundredphone calls and E-mails, we have toconclude that publishing informationabout foreign programming needs issomething almost everybody wouldlike to see, but is something aboutwhich very few companies were happyto share information, whether for programmingacquired this year or whatthey plan to acquire next year. Forexample, Juraj Madacky, our correspondentfrom Czech Republic informedus that he had contacted threeleading stations in his country; he hadcalled and mailed officers in programmingdepartments, and done his bestto pick up information from insiders,but found it a dead end.Obviously, most TV broadcastersin CEE take competition more seriouslythan they did only three or four yearsago, and they believe that silenceabout their programming strategy willDISCOP LINK • #11 • NOVEMBER 07give them a significant advantage inthe market.Besides the hurdles presented bysuch ‘classified info’, we were successfulin finding out some facts aboutprogramming strategies in CEE.BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA -REPUBLIKA SRPSKA PUBLICTV SERVICE, BANJA LUKARTRS is a public TV broadcasterand has specific programming tasks,but that doesn't mean the station isn'tinvolved in hunting for the maximumaudience share which it can achieve inits broadcasting area. It should bementioned that RTRS has improved itsstaff this year - among others, Mr.Branko Lazic came from ATV to takecare of foreign programmes."We have bought a lot of programmesfrom Paramount this year,"said Mr. Lazic. "We bought the serialsSOUS LE SOLEIL, CSI MIAMI, LEAPARKER, EGMONT, TWEEN PEAKS…We pay special attention to serial programmesmade in the Serbian andCroatian language and, generally, weare interested in almost everythingproduced in our region but, of course,everything depends on quality and sellingconditions. We bought BASKET-BALL PLAYERS, MILE AGAINSTTRANSITION and STORKS WILL BEBACK from Belgrade, programmeswhich were recently broadcast inBelgrade and have high ratings.""As a public service," - continuesMr. Lazic, "we broadcast lot of documentaries,more than 100 hours offoreign documentaries per season.Our last acquisition was from Discovery.As a public service, we alsohave to care about children's programmes.Cartoons and TV moviesfor children are usually bought fromdistributors based in Belgrade."According to Mr. Lazic, some genres- such as reality or licensed quizshows - are not in the programmingschedule at RTRS only because ofpoor technical conditions, such assmall studios and dated equipment -but these problems should be easedwhen RTRS moves into its new building.The move is scheduled for the endof next year.BULGARIA - DIEMACHANNELS, SOFIAThere are three "Diema" channelsin Bulgaria. Presently they are ownedby the British consortium "Epasemedia" and MTG - Modern Times11