[REVISION HISTORY]

Serbian media ownership changes and program cancellations

Updated 3 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-05 19:17 UTC → 2026-09-08 06:40 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The future of the Serbian satirical program ‘24 minuta’ became uncertain following the acquisition of Adria News Network (ANN), the owner of Nova S, by the Portuguese investment fund Alpac Capital. Host Zoran Kesić initially reported a lack of communication from the new owners regarding a contract signed in June, noting that the uncertainty affected several media outlets including N1, Nova S, Radar, and Danas. Nova S subsequently announced that ‘24 Minutes with Zoran Kesic’ will be discontinued this autumn. Management characterized the cancellation as a financial decision, stating that the show’s annual cost of over 500,000 euros for fewer than 30 hours of programming provided marginal commercial impact. The production team responded to the announcement by describing the decision as ‘illogical’ given the program’s popularity. Further details revealed that while the production team had signed the contract in June, the network had failed to sign it. ANN maintained that the decision was based on a cost-benefit analysis, noting that production costs averaged approximately 17,000 euros per hour. As the discontinuation on Nova S is finalized, Kesić and his team have disputed the economic rationale, suggesting the move is politically motivated to ‘discipline’ the station ahead of upcoming Serbian elections. Kesić has since indicated that the decision followed meetings with network owners who reportedly expressed a lack of interest in continuing the broadcast. He further disputed management's claims regarding viewership, noting that official figures showed the program generated solid annual revenue for the station. The production team announced that the new season will instead launch on September 19 via their YouTube channel. ~~Colleagues from N1 and Forbes Serbia expressed solidarity, arguing that the show’s value as a space for satire and free speech cannot be measured solely by financial metrics.~~

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