No sale of Serb newswire set up by communist partisans

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The sale of Serbia's Tanjug news agency, once the voice of socialist Yugoslavia, has reportedly collapsed after no bidders were found.

Tanjug (The Telegraphic Agency for the New Yugoslavia) was one of many state-owned media outlets put up for sale. The starting price was about £543,000.

The sale was part of an effort to end state ownership in the sector.

The 72-year-old agency employs around 200 people.

The number of staff has vastly decreased from when the agency was at its peak - as have its profits. In 2014, Tanjug's pre-tax profit was $6,320.

Tanjug was formed in 1943 by Yugoslav Communist partisans, becoming Serbian-owned with the break up of federal Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

It was amongst 38 other state owned media outlets put up for sale in June by Serbia's privatisation agency.

It is unclear whether a new sale effort will be launched.