Television: Then and Now: I visited Montenegro in May 2003 and March 2004. I liked the people I met and that is a primary reason why I am back today. The media managers and employees I met were personable and interested in new ideas. Still, they faced challenges.

Here is part of what I said then.

“There are too many print and broadcast media firms in Montenegro and the field will not be thinning very quickly. The television stations seem mired in programming production practices of the past—some of their programs look a bit stiff. Improvements in sales and marketing practices offer some legitimate chances to improve the performance of the firms but it will be a difficult market until the number of firms is reduced either through consolidation or bankruptcy. Competition from Serbian stations will also erode the audience for Montenegrin television stations.”

Now:

I have not yet met with media managers but I have spoken with several authoritative sources and I have my own observations. First, the on-air look of the stations is generally much better. Through both local and syndicated programming, the stations have a better look. And, the government has begun enforcing copyright protections, thus limiting the ability of stations to simply “pluck” choice programming from satellite feeds or the local video shops. Second, advertising sales continue to be limited. Private (commercial stations) are allowed to air up to nine minutes of commercials per hour. I’m not sure that I’ve noticed even half this number—on the busiest hour. Third, Montenegro Television (the two government-run channels) have begun the move to public service status—still, there are far too many employees on the payroll and limited political will to change that situation.