The Supreme Court on February 15 suspended a decision by the state license council allowing new station JOJ TV to broadcast on a Žilina frequency; JOJ, owned by Czech media power Vladimír Železný, has said the ruling may stop it from launching operations altogether. JOJ has already invested Sk100 million ($2.1 million) into advertising ahead of the launch and has Sk350 million in project commitments, say station officials. The court, however, upheld a complaint filed last December by Slovakia’s biggest station, TV Markíza, that the award of the Žilina frequency, which was to represent 30 per cent of JOJ’s terrestrial coverage, would have caused Markíza Sk40-60 million in damages.
Compiled by Tom Nicholson from press reports.
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
