"Telecom has become the biggest media monopolist in Europe"

New owner last week SBBbecame e&PPF Telecom, created by the merger of the Czech PPF Group, which is the owner of Jetel in Serbia, and the Emirates Telecommunications Group from Abu Dhabi.

That ended the cable war. State Telecom won. The fight was long, with high stakes and the expected outcome. The one who had behind him the power of the state and a practically unlimited budget won.

In the new issue of the weekly "Vreme", which is on newsstands from Thursday, February 20, read about what this kind of change in the media market means.

The sale of parts of the United Group from the state-owned Telekom creates almost a monopoly in the field of media content, and when you add to that the attacks on small and independent media, the landscape in which Serbian citizens are informed takes on an even darker shade of black.

Officially, key media, such as television N1 and Nova S, do not change hands. According to the company's announcement, they will remain offered by SBB and on the EON platform, and will also be offered to Jetel's cable television network. As "Vreme" learns, their contract with SBB is valid for about five more years, regardless of the change of owner.

"Regardless of the assurances that N1, Nova S and others that have been under the same roof with SBB until now will remain the same and that the editorial concept will not change, I am afraid that it will last for a while, and then we will see certain changes." Telekom has become a monopoly company, the likes of which in the field of media do not exist in Europe", says retired professor of the Faculty of Political Sciences, Rade Veljanovski.

As he adds, he fears that, regardless of the contract with SBB, there may be an influence and a change in the editorial policy.

"The disappearance of N1 and Nova S in today's form would mean a dark media age in Serbia." Admittedly, it has been dark for four decades, but it would be even blacker", says Veljanovski for the new issue of "Vremena".

The new issue of the weekly "Vreme" will hit newsstands on Thursday (February 20). You can subscribe to the print or digital edition here.