24th of September 2026
Sixteen media and journalists’ associations and civil society organisations have called on Telekom Srbija to immediately stop the unlawful terrestrial broadcasting of Informer TV, Kurir TV and other television channels, whose programmes have been made available free of charge via terrestrial antennas without the required licences.
At the same time, they submitted an initiative to the newly constituted Council of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM), calling on it to take all necessary measures to restore compliance with the law in terrestrial broadcasting. The organisations also called on the Council to initiate appropriate legal proceedings against the responsible individuals and legal entities whose decision to unscramble these channels constituted a serious violation of the Law on Electronic Media.
Informer TV and Kurir TV hold licences for distribution via cable, satellite and IPTV networks, but not for national terrestrial broadcasting.
By making these television channels available nationwide through the terrestrial network, Telekom Srbija has effectively placed Informer TV and Kurir TV on an equal footing with broadcasters licensed for national coverage. In doing so, it has assumed a role that belongs to REM and effectively usurped the regulator’s powers, even though REM is the sole authority responsible for deciding who may use the limited public resource of radio-frequency spectrum and terrestrial network capacity.
This is particularly problematic as it is happening in the run-up to the parliamentary elections. Informer TV and Kurir TV have thereby gained nationwide reach at a time when all relevant media monitoring shows that their coverage of government representatives is markedly one-sided, while their reporting on representatives of the Student List violates virtually every professional and legal standard.
By granting certain cable channels free nationwide reach, Telekom Srbija is abusing its dominant market position and directly discriminating against all other registered cross-border and cable channels, as well as other media service providers that pay fees for regular national broadcasting licences. In addition to the Law on Electronic Media, this also violates the Law on Protection of Competition and the Law on Electronic Communications. As no statutory fee is being paid for national broadcasting, Telekom Srbija’s decision also directly deprives REM of revenue, as the regulator is financed from these fees.
Given the potential consequences for media pluralism, equal treatment of participants in the electoral process and citizens’ right to access diverse sources of information, and in order to restore compliance with the law in the provision of media services, we call on Telekom Srbija and REM to immediately investigate and stop the distribution of channels that do not hold the required licence for terrestrial broadcasting. This would prevent irreparable harm to the fairness of the electoral process and equal treatment of its participants, while safeguarding freedom of access to information in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights.
ANEM
Association of Independent Local Media “Local Press”
Association of Media
Association of Online Media
Autonomous Women’s Center
Belgrade Centre for Human Rights
Civic Initiatives
European Movement in Serbia
GS KUM Nezavisnost
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS)
Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina (NDNV)
Krokodil Association
Partners-Serbia
Rainbow Ignite
RERI
Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation
