"I thought it would be the most secure model to protect my television from political interference," he now says by way of apology.
"If I had had political programming, I would have not been able to withstand the political pressure."
Once Milosevic was ousted in 2000 and the regime toppled, Mitrovic's transformation, and that of Pink TV, began.
With his commercial interests in mind, Mitrovic these days is an enthusiastic supporter of Serbia's emergence from isolation and its tentative rapprochement with the West. Serbia's commitment to that path will be tested this weekend, when national elections might return Milosevic's ultra-nationalist allies to power.
Mitrovic does not comment directly on national politics anymore, but it is clear he believes that radical, anti-Western nationalism is not good for business: "We have to have politicians who are looking to a better future. Nobody can survive a long time in a scenario of dragging the country backwards."
The Pink Media empire includes television and radio broadcasting and production, satellite TV production, music recording, advertising and even a small corporate airline. The TV programming, in marked contrast to the past, includes a smattering of serious newscasts, along with the staple fare of reality shows, soaps and American sitcoms.
Mitrovic traverses the countries that were spawned from Yugoslavia's dissolution, ignoring the lingering ethnic tensions and looking for a deal. He has created Pink networks in those former enemy states and even included programming with studio hook-ups in their capitals.
"Entertainment, music and business are the three strongest weapons for bringing the ethnic groups together," he said.
In recent weeks, Mitrovic, after several unsuccessful bids over the years, also acquired a Croatian channel, Net, that will serve as the basis for a countrywide network, Pink Hrvatska, or Croatian Pink.
The movie-studio project will test Mitrovic's business acumen and his salesmanship skills. He knows it's an uphill battle every time he travels to the U.S. He says he has to convince wary producers that Serbia is now a safe country with an up-to-date infrastructure, with electricity and streets that are not full of gunslingers.
"We are sending the message that we are a normal country open for business and investment . . . and that we don't have horns and are not the Tasmanian devil," Mitrovic said.
"Without removing the negative perceptions, it will be difficult to sell the project," he said. And in reshaping negative perceptions, Mitrovic has experience.
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tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com
