That at the door of United Group a new director, Vladica Tintor, a former official of RATEL, suddenly appeared, currently nothing changes for N1 and Nova S.
However, as "Vreme" learns, the next step could be to change the leadership of United Media, which is part of the Group, and in this way N1 and Nova S will be reached. The state is going for one of two tactics - to shut down these media quickly, under the explanation of a "business decision", or to suffocate them quietly, say insiders.
The combination is stripped.
The appointment of Vladica Tintor, the new director of the United Group, is for now the culmination of the work that the owner of the United Group, the large investment fund BC Partners, made when he sold the cable network SBB to the Czech-Arab consortium and all sports rights to state Telekom.
Thus, all the regime's TV channels became available on both major cable providers, and Telekom became a monopoly on sports broadcasts and paid for it with state money - that is, with taxpayers' money.
BC Partners continued by replacing the long-time manager - and minority owner - Dragan Šolak, which will have an epilogue in court. But, while waiting for the court, the United group is divided.
According to those familiar with the events, the idea is to attribute all personnel changes to "business decisions", and that the ultimate goal should be what Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced - the end of the N1 and Nova S by November of this year.
In the meantime, all the journalists of these television stations will push on, without any adjustments, as far as it goes.
For now, there are no concrete announcements that some of the leading people and editors of the two televisions or other media that belong to the United group, such as the daily Danas and the weekly Radar, could be replaced.
Can it be prevented?
The media around N1 and Nova S could survive only if the owner, BC Partners, realizes that shutting them down would damage their international reputation, our sources say.
Because we are talking about a large investment firm that looks at business in the Balkans through the lens of profit. The question is how much they care about freedom of the press in Serbia, but they could be worried if they were attacked by foreign media.
However, it seems that Vučić was not speaking by heart when he predicted the end of critical television by autumn. It's as if he reached the people at the top of BC Partners a long time ago, when the whole deal was concluded.
A blow to the press too
Other newsrooms work as part of United Media. Thus, in 2021, United Media bought the daily newspaper Danas, which until then was owned by small shareholders, i.e. journalists who left Our Struggle in the XNUMXs.
United Media also owns the weekly Radar, and these are again journalists who left NIN, after it passed into the hands of a new owner in 2023. The Serbian editorial office of Forbes and the Nova daily are also part of the team.
These are all journalists who ran away from state control in the media. In total, hundreds of journalists are concerned.
There is nowhere to go.
As "Vreme" heard from some of them, they also have no more information about what will happen. But they are afraid and point out that there are almost no newsrooms in Serbia that are looking for real journalists, especially not television ones.
All remaining televisions and daily newspapers are under state control. Media such as Euronews and RTS, which the state calls independent or neutral, have repeatedly shown how journalists who dare to ignore the editorial policy pass by quiet but steady support for the progressives.
They won't even be able to knock there, let alone get an open door, at least those who intend to continue in professional reporting.
During that time, the politics of other countries had already shut down some other newsrooms that covered the media space of Serbia. Qatar shut down Al Jazeera Balkan overnight, and Trump has been exhausting VOA and Free Europe for months. The result of this "dedicated intention" is the halting of the work of the Voice of America, the dismissal of associates and the reduction of the budget of Free Europe.
Glittery wasteland
This is all bad news for the citizens and information in Serbia.
