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2 clusters · 10 sources · 23 days · First seen 23 days ago · Last updated about 13 hours ago

Media ownership changes in Serbia and North Macedonia

Overview

Media ownership is undergoing significant shifts in the Balkan region. In North Macedonia, the Serbian media group Alo Media Sistem DOO Beograd, involving businessmen linked to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, signed a letter of intent to acquire the national cable channel Naša TV and regional station Radio RFM. The transaction, routed through a local entity, awaits approval from the Audio-Visual Media Services Council and the Competition Commission.

Concurrently in Serbia, Alpac Capital, a Portuguese investment group, has completed a takeover of several major outlets under the Adria News Network (ANN) within the United Group. This restructuring includes the television stations N1 and Nova S, the news portal and newspaper Nova.rs, the weekly Radar, and the daily Danas.

The transition has been marked by the official registration of Pedro Vargas Santos David as the director for all these media entities and the immediate removal of several top executives. Key departures include Brent Sadler from Adria News and N1, Mihailo Jovićević from Nova and Radar, Aleksandra Mitić from Dan Graf, and Janez Živko from Nova S.

While N1 and other outlets have stated that their editorial policies and professional standards will remain unchanged, journalist unions and media employees have expressed significant concern regarding the suddenness of these changes. Critics and unions fear the move could lead to a consolidation of media power and alignment with the current political regime, noting potential political connections between Alpac Capital’s leadership and figures close to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Entities

N1 · Serbia · Risto Gogovski · Adria News Network · Naša TV

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 7 SOURCES] Alpac Capital has taken control of several independent media outlets in Serbia. balk.hu · racin.mk · sandzacke.rs · savremenapolitika.com · www.magyarszo.rs · +2 more
[● 6 SOURCES] All previous directors of the affected media outlets have been removed. racin.mk · sandzacke.rs · savremenapolitika.com · www.magyarszo.rs · www.klix.ba · +1 more
[● 5 SOURCES] Pedro Vargas Santos David has been registered as the director of N1, Nova S, Nova.rs, Radar, and Danas. racin.mk · savremenapolitika.com · www.magyarszo.rs · www.danas.rs · nova.rs
[● 5 SOURCES] Brent Sadler was removed from his position as director of Adria News and N1. racin.mk · sandzacke.rs · savremenapolitika.com · www.magyarszo.rs · www.danas.rs
[● 4 SOURCES] The change in ownership will not affect the editorial policy of TV N1. racin.mk · sandzacke.rs · savremenapolitika.com · www.klix.ba
[● 3 SOURCES] Alpac Capital is reportedly connected to figures close to Viktor Orbán and Aleksandar Vučić. balk.hu · sandzacke.rs · www.magyarszo.rs
[● 2 SOURCES] Journalists fear that the changes will continue with the removal of editors to align media with the current regime. szmsz.press · nova.rs
[● 2 SOURCES] The sale of Adria News Network was officially announced on May 29. racin.mk · vesti-online.com

Timeline

about 13 hours ago

[INTERNATIONAL] 10 sources
Alpac Capital takes control of Serbian independent media outlets
Alpac Capital has taken control of major Serbian independent media outlets like N1 and Nova, replacing all previous directors with Pedro Vargas Santos David amid concerns over editorial independence.
23 days ago

[BUSINESS] 2 sources
Serbian media group Alo expands ownership in North Macedonia
Serbian media group Alo plans to buy North Macedonian TV channel Naša TV and radio station Radio RFM, pending regulator approval, marking its first regional expansion.

Sources

balk.hu · danas.rs · europeanwesternbalkans.rs · magyarszo.rs · nova.rs · racin.mk · sandzacke.rs · sarajevo-x.com · szabadmagyarszo.com · vesti-online.com

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history