Serbia's Iconic Studio B Finds New Owner

Studio B, a symbol of media freedom in the era of Slobodan Milosevic, has been sold for just over half a million euros.

The station is the largest media outlet in Serbia to be sold so far under the recent media privatisation programme.

The sales of two other major media companies, Tanjug news agency and the Novi Sad-based daily, Dnevnik, failed due to the lack of bidders.

Maxim media was the only bidder for Studio B. The agency already owns four radio stations in Serbia, TDI, Karolina, Jat and Hit Radio.

The company was founded in 2007 and had nine employees in 2013, according to the Serbian Business Register. That year the company recorded a profit of about 61 million dinars (around 508,000 euros).

The final contract for the Studio B sale will be concluded after the regulatory body approves the purchase.

Maxim media representative Ruzica Krdzic described the purchase of Studio B as a logical continuation of company's expansion after almost ten years spent dealing with media outlets.

"We hope our experience will contribute to a better position and development of Studio B," Krdzic said.

She added that the company would present its plans for Studio B after the final agreement is signed in the next few weeks.

Nino Brajovic, from the Journalists Association of Serbia, told BIRN that the sale was a good signal for media privatisation in Serbia.

"I do not know much about the new owners but it is good they are already in the media business because Studio B will now probably be able to continue to... develop," Brajovic said.

Vukasin Obradovic, head of the Independent Association of Serbian Journalists, told BIRN that the new owners are legally obliged to maintain Studio B's editorial policy, which means...