Pink Media Group

The Pink Media Group started off with Radio Pink in 1993 and the following year launched a TV station by signing a contract on business and technical cooperation with the country’s national television RTS (today public service broadcaster) due to Pink founder’s (Zeljko Mitrovic) close tie with the ruling elites. According to the contract, the RTS was obliged to cede a number of facilities, equipment and services to Pink with minimal compensation. The mogul’s Pink TV channel pioneered a new kind of populist programming, playing “turbo-folk” music and promoting nationalist ideals. Warriors and singers rubbed shoulders on its prime-time slots. Since 1998, it has been the leading commercial TV station in the country, keeping good ties with every government to follow. Today, it is the most watched commercial TV station in the country with 16.54% audience share in the period covering 1 January - 31 December 2018.

Thanks to these close relations with state officials, Mitrovic’s business has been constantly growing over the years and also spreading through industries and countries. Today, its broadcast reach extends globally through Pink International’s licensing arrangements for two satellite television brands, Pink Plus and Pink Extra. Programming for these satellite channels is supplied by Pink International (TV Pink). In addition to this, there are 60 Pink cable channels ranging from Pink kids and Pink music to Pink erotika.

Today, The Pink Media Group is the largest, private commercial broadcast entertainment and media group in Southeast Europe. The group’s operations encompass: filmed entertainment production, radio and television broadcasting, satellite tv production, music recording, optical disc media replication and executive/VIP aviation services. PMG refers to seven individual, legally and financially, independent companies: Pink International Company, City Records, Airpink and Pink Films International.

However, in the course of 2014, Pink appeared on the state tax administration lists as one of the major tax debtors. But, the Serbian Export Credit and Insurance Agency (AOFI) still aided Pink International Company at least twice - with guarantees and loans at the total amount of € 3.9 million to the benefit of AIK Bank.

Probably one of the biggest controversies regarding Mitrovic is his relation with the country’s broadcasting agency, REM. It is believed that Mitrovic had a major influence on the allocation of nationwide frequencies in 2006, securing himself one frequency (for Pink TV), while it later turned out that two other media outlets (Avala and Happy/Kosava), that also obtained the national frequency, were connected to him either through ownership or loans.