Censorship fears grow as Serbian government considers axing news platform N1

CNN affiliate N1, a 24-hour cable news channel based in Zagreb broadcasting throughout the former Yugoslavia and known for its high quality journalism and relative neutrality, could face the chop in Serbia.

According to TV N1’s news director in Serbia, Jugoslav Ćosić, the Serbian Ministry of Culture and Information is preparing a media strategy that could see the elimination of N1 from the country’s media landscape.

Mr Ćosić told the Balkan Independent Reporting Network that the ministry is drawing up plans to axe N1 because the government “cannot accept the concept of even a relatively free media in Serbia.”

A statement by N1 confirms that the channel has gained information that the Ministry’s new media strategy contains a proposal that would ban cable distributors from producing and owning their own channels, a clause that could spell the end for N1 in Serbia.

While Secretary for Information and Media Nino Brajović has dismissed these claims, Mr Ćosić argues that the proposals are consistent with the prevalent attitude of officials towards N1, noting that officials have continually spread falsehoods about the network.

Source: Balkan Insight