Alpac Capital takes control of Serbian and regional independent media

Alpac Capital Adria News Network media ownership Serbia media editorial independence

Alpac Capital, a Portuguese investment group, has assumed management control of several prominent independent media outlets in Serbia and the wider region, including N1, Nova S, Nova.rs, Radar, and Danas. This move follows an agreement to acquire Adria News Network (ANN) from United Group, a transaction that was officially announced on May 29 but has not yet received all necessary regulatory approvals from authorities in Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Following the takeover, Pedro Vargas Santos David, CEO of Alpac Capital, was registered as the director for the affected media companies. This led to the immediate removal of several high-level directors, including Brent Sadler (Adria News and N1), Mihailo Jovićević (Nova and Radar), Aleksandra Mitić (Dan Graf), and Janez Živko (Nova S). In Croatia, Tihomir Ladišić was also removed from his position as director of Adria News.

Journalists' unions and the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS) have expressed serious concern regarding the speed of these management changes occurring before regulatory finalization. There are fears that the removal of leadership could lead to further changes in editorial staff to align the outlets with the current political regime. While N1 and other outlets have stated that editorial independence and professional standards will remain unchanged, employees have demanded written guarantees to protect their roles and journalistic integrity.

Entities

Adria News Network · Alpac Capital · Alpak Kapital · N1 · Pedro Vargas Santos David · Serbia · United Group

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 9 SOURCES] All previous directors of the affected media outlets have been removed. racin.mk · sandzacke.rs · www.magyarszo.rs · www.klix.ba · vesti-online.com · +3 more
[● 6 SOURCES] The change in ownership will not affect the editorial policy of TV N1. racin.mk · sandzacke.rs · www.klix.ba · www.telegram.hr · vesti-online.com
[● 2 SOURCES] Journalists fear that the changes will continue with the removal of editors to align media with the current regime. szmsz.press
[● 10 SOURCES] Pedro Vargas Santos David has been registered as the director of N1, Nova S, Nova.rs, Radar, and Danas. racin.mk · www.magyarszo.rs · istmedia.rs · sandzacke.rs · www.klix.ba · +2 more
[● 2 SOURCES] The sale of Adria News Network was officially announced on May 29. racin.mk · vesti-online.com
[● 7 SOURCES] Brent Sadler was removed from his position as director of Adria News and N1. racin.mk · sandzacke.rs · www.magyarszo.rs · balk.hu · biznis.rs
[● 9 SOURCES] Alpac Capital has taken control of several independent media outlets in Serbia. racin.mk · sandzacke.rs · www.magyarszo.rs · www.klix.ba · vesti-online.com · +3 more
[● 4 SOURCES] Alpac Capital is reportedly connected to figures close to Viktor Orbán and Aleksandar Vučić. sandzacke.rs · www.magyarszo.rs · balk.hu · www.klix.ba