Vladimir Lucic, the CEO of state-owned Telekom Srbija, appeared on Euronews (Serbia) on Tuesday morning to share his insights into how the management of United Group (UG) views the future of United Media (UM) outlets in Serbia.
It it unusual that the head of a direct competitor appears to have more information on what is happening in the company’s internal affairs than the directors of the media outlets within United Group. What we saw this morning was the CEO of the state-owned telecom giant being better informed about goings-on at United Group than most of its own employees.
Among other things, Lucic discussed potential leadership changes within United Media, specifically regarding the CEO position, and said the following:
Lucic on new UM CEO
“The coordination with the minority shareholder regarding a management buyout is clear, is for them to keep operating as they have been, in the interests of one man, the minority owner. That is not disputed, they claim to be independent, but they work for one individual’s interests. They are trying to say that BC Partners… if they appoint a Briton… and certainly not Brent Sadler, whom they are smearing and who is 70 years old… they claim no one can guarantee editorial independence except Aleksandra Subotic. That narrative doesn’t sound realistic,” Lucic said, Nova.rs reported.
Earlier this month, editors at United Media outlets in Serbia informed the public that United Group plans a reorganization of UM media outlets. This would involve folding Serbian media assets, along with Montenegro’s Vijesti, into a Luxembourg-based company to create a so-called “news division” for United Group.
While most reports from the group focused on Brent Sadler’s potential role in this reorganization and possibly taking a leadership position, Lucic clearly has different information.
Lucic on UM outlets’ independence
The Telekom Srbija CEO also shared his views on the level of independence at United Media outlets in Serbia, as well as his take on the overall media landscape in Serbia.
“Don’t claim you are independent media – you are dependent media. Look, Insajder, Newsmax, and Euronews are objective, Blic is independent, Insider is even opposition-leaning. And on Telekom platforms, you can watch HRT (Croatian public broadcasting company) too, getting completely different perspectives. But that is their tactic – boiling down all independent journalism to just those two channels. That narrative is losing ground internationally, though,” Lucic said.
To recall, in the context of the media buyout proposed by editors from N1, Nova TV, Nova.rs, Danas, and Radar, United Group’s new leadership said they want any new appointments to strengthen editorial independence – which these outlets have maintained all these years. They are also working on forming a new editorial board, though its makeup remains unknown. Here, the messages from United Group management and Lucic oddly align.
Lucic on the president and elections
The Telekom CEO also responded to a question from the Euronews journalist about commenting on a Nova.rs article claiming President Vucic plans to call parliamentary elections only after shutting down United Media outlets. In response, Lucic said:
“It is clear to everyone that they work for private interests. With their aggressive stance on the president, they are turning him into a victim. And since he is an experienced politician, he responds, and from that, they concluded…” Lucic said, among other things.
As a reminder, in President Vucic’s most recent public appearance, N1 journalist Mladen Savatovic was targeted with insults and professional discrediting, leading Savatovic to announce a lawsuit. Additionally, according to official Prosecutor’s Office data, Serbia saw a 113 percent increase in attacks on journalists by the end of November this year compared to the same period last year. Nearly half of all reported attacks and threats were directed at journalists and newsrooms from independent outlets like N1, Nova, Radar, and Danas.
According to United Media CEO Aleksandra Subotic, these figures unambiguously show that independent media are being systematically targeted.
Lucic on his conversation with Miller
The Telekom CEO also addressed a leaked recording of his talk with United Group CEO Stan Miller. In it, Miller assured Lucic that promised changes at the top of United Media would happen, and that Serbian media publishing companies needed to be “made small.” Both Miller and Lucic confirmed the conversation’s authenticity, though a forensic expert from the Higher Prosecutor’s Office ruled last week that the recording was “edited.” Meanwhile, the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime (TOK) is conducting a preliminary investigation, not into the recording’s origin, but its content and whether it contains elements of a criminal offense.
Lucic said he won’t comment on the work of the Prosecutor’s Office, that he has a good business relationship with Miller, that their discussions did include Aleksandra Subotic, whom he described as “controlling the media.”
As a reminder, the phone conversation published by the renowned Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) network also mentions that the Serbian president requested Subotic’s removal.
“I understand that the president called you and that he is very upset, and I can understand. But I need to find a way to do it fast, quick, quick. When I make a promise, I do it. I’m a person of my word,” Miller assured Lucic in the recording obtained by OCCRP and KRIK journalists.
Source: N1
