Izvor: N1 televizija, 15.Sep.2018, 10:21 (ažurirano 02.Apr.2020.)
Telekom Serbia to buy unspecified cable operators
Serbia’s state-owned telephone, cable and Internet services provider Telekom Serbia announced plans to buy several cable operators but did not provide any details about the possible deals or the names of any of the service providers it might purchase.
Telekom Serbia CEO Predrag Culibrk said the company is negotiating with several cable operators, adding that the state-owned company has the financial capacities to implement its plans but did not explain why the company which is >> Pročitaj celu vest na sajtu N1 televizija << majority state-owned decided to buy existing providers instead of expanding its own capacities.
According to what N1 has learned unofficially, Telekom has earmarked several hundred million Euros for its planned purchases and is allegedly prepared to pay more than market value for the providers. N1 sources have said that negotiations are underway to buy a cable operator at a price of almost 200 million Euros even though the operator’s market value is around 50 million Euros. The announced purchase of a number of cable operators will allow the government to have control over the TV channels on offer to viewers. That runs counter to European legislature that says that the state has to pull out of the media field.
Telekom says negotiations are open
Telekom Serbia reacted to the N1 report about its planned purchase of unspecified cable operators but failed to provide answers to any of the fundamental questions which N1’s information has opened up. CEO Culibrk said in a statement that the negotiations are “open” and that the Telekom Serbia “will not hide anything from the public” as a company that operates transparently.
A company statement said that the purchase of cable operators is no secret. “Telekom Serbia announced its plans to buy cable operators two months ago to strengthen its position on a competitive market. There was no public reaction at the time, nor any obviously unfair competition since it was clear to everyone involved in telecommunications that this is a legitimate and customary step which was not unusual for others in the market,” the statement said.
Telekom also claimed that the unofficial reports are “not well-intentioned and are not correct”. It added that “the implementation of Telekom Serbia’s most important investment plan is underway and its implementation will bring Telekom Serbia to a million households in Serbia through the latest optical infrastructure”.
Telekom Serbia to provide clear answers to open questions
N1 is calling Telekom Serbia to provide clear answers to the questions which have now been opened about its decision to buy existing cable operators instead of expanding its own capacities.
Telekom Serbia should openly and clearly say which cable operators it is negotiating with, whether the purchases will be made under market conditions and whether it is true that negotiations are underway with one operator for a price of almost 200 million Euros and which operator?
N1 is calling Telekom Serbia to publicly say what its intentions are in regard to the TV channels which are currently being offered by the operator it is negotiating with and which could be subject to purchase.
The important thing for N1 TV and its viewers is whether, if Telekom Serbia buys operators which offer N1 to their viewers, N1 TV will remain on offer or will suffer the same fate as the Serbian Science TV which was removed from the offer of Telekom Serbia.
