The "implantation" has begun: N1, Nova and Danas have new bosses

Announcement United groups starts with a dose of cynicism. They are introducing, they write, a "new management framework" in order to protect "the independence of their... media "jobs".

What has been rumored for a long time in the media bazaar has actually been formalized - the United group is under the hood of something called Adria News Network placed 14 media from the area of ​​the former Yugoslavia, including N1, Nova S, Danas, Radar and Podgorica Vijesti.

From now on, these media will be practically "extracted" from the United Group itself and answer to the new "editorial council" and the board, which are all foreign managers and journalists.

Bypass Aleksandra Subotić

"It's all a game to dispossess Aleksandra Subotic," says the source of "Vremena" from United Group. Subotic has been leading for years United Media, a branch of the United Group, which until now was also responsible for these media.

Subotic is close to the minority owner of United Group Dragan Šolak and a fierce opponent of the "adjustment" of the editorial policy of the media to the interests of the authorities in Serbia.

However, the majority owner, the investment fund BC Partners, has its own way. The moves could be glimpsed when last year they sold the cable operator SBB, and sold the rights to sports broadcasts to the Serbian state Telekom.

This brought the investor around 1,5 billion euros, but left N1 and other media in the wind and in great uncertainty.

In that tangle, the "partnership" conversation between the leaders of the United Group, Stan Miller, and Serbian Telekom became public. Vladimir Lučić where there was talk of the "hiding" of Aleksandra Subotić.

Elections are being targeted.

"Now everything can go further," fears the "Vremena" source, "that is, they can change in depth. They can start with program directors and editors and go as far as they can."

Some of the journalists who work for these media in Serbia told us that they are still not leaving their positions. "We're holding on," says one person, "but realistically, there's nowhere else to go."

Informed interlocutors are convinced that the idea of ​​the transaction has always been to silence critical voices before the next elections. Now, they say, that is coming true.