Recent decisions on the restructuring of United Group, within which the media outlets that have so far operated within United Media (TV channels N1 and Nova as well as media outlets Danas, Radar, Forbes and Nova) were transferred to the newly established Adria News Network company, were carried out without the knowledge and consent of the minority owners of UG, namely Dragan Solak, according to Nova Ekonomija website.
Nova Ekonomija reported that no vote was ever held in United Group on the transfer of United Media’s media outlets to Adria News Network, as reported by certain tabloids close to the Serbian authorities. The organization of United Group is such that the owner of the entire group is a holding company called Summer Parent, in which all owners have their representatives, both the investment fund BC Partners as the majority owner and Dragan Solak as the minority, who is represented by Vladislav Ratajac.
This holding company, according to Nova Ekonomija sources, has never discussed or voted on the issue of restructuring the media part of United Group.
However, pro-regime media reported that the formation of the Adria News Network company, to which N1 and Nova were transferred, was allegedly a “Board decision” for which, as they stated, Ratajac, who represents the interests of Dragan Solak and Victoriya Boklag, the former director of UG, and who allegedly supported the “handover of the media”, also voted.
According to information provided to Nova Ekonomija by sources familiar with the developments inside United Group, Ratajac never participated in the vote, nor was there any discussion on the handover or transfer of the media.
“All decisions were made without the knowledge and consent of the minority owners, as well as without the insight of the former management of United Group”, according to Nova Ekonomija source.
Source: N1
