Many have recently wondered who will save Telekom’s media, which are in the midst of a financial crisis and how much this will cost its shareholders. Until Prime Minister Mr.Sarec resigned, Telekom Slovenije had planned that its “baby” Planet TV, together with the Siol portal, would be dealt with by a state-owned bad bank or so called “DUTB”. However, the law under which the “DUTB” operates will not be changed so far and another solution will have to be found.
According to some other media’s, company “TSmedia”, which runs portal “Siol”, made its last profit in 2011 and the television itself has never had profit. An additional problem was the ownership exit of the Greek company “Antenna Group”, as they had to pay Greek 18 million euros.
The management of Telekom Slovenija is still silent about what is happening on Planet TV, but it is said that the investment department of bank NLB has invited a wide variety of partners, who could invest something in television, which could also include funds from abroad. If anyone responded to the invitation to recapitalize the Planet TV, it would receive a maximum of 49% share. At the same time, Telekom intends to convert its receivables from its subsidiaries.
However, the money should only be enough for one year, so there is also talk about the sale of Planet’s TV entire share, which is not likely to happen. If the Supervisory Board decides that Telekom will no longer deal with stranded television with extra money and that there will be no new investor, the company may go bankrupt. It is interesting to note that politics is also involved in the business of this media. Rolando Zel, who became Planet TV chief last year, has not worked in the media so far, but he is closely associated with Damir Crncec, who is Marjan Sarac’s right-hand man.
It should be borne in mind that Sarac’s staff also controls “DUTB”, so it is probable that they will try to save Planet TV with new loans and that the original decision of Telekom’s supervisors, not to lend any more money, will not oblige. However, in return for a loan, Planet TV will have to “help” in a way that, like the rest of the mainstream media, it will attack the right political option and help them to identify “new faces”. It is also here, that one can see, how a deep state in the media really works. It’s not enough them to master RTVS and Pop TV. So will on Planet TV win the political agenda of “Forum 21” again?