Is there an illegal progressive television station operating in Niš: The City Assembly discusses its name.

Bojan Avramović, who is introduced as the editor-in-chief of Niš TV, and is also a former official of the SNS and a former director of the Development Agency "Jug," did not respond to Danas' questions regarding the status and legality of that media outlet.

The program of that television states that it "operates in accordance with the law."

Niš TV, which was included in the MTS cable package under unclear circumstances, regularly broadcasts content from Televizija Informer, and began its own program, which it claims is experimental, by hosting the President of Serbia and founder of the SNS, Aleksandar Vučić, prior to his participation in the International Assembly in Niš on May 18.

In the morning program, representatives of the authorities and the SNS appear, including the leader of the progressives, Miloš Vučević, and the Mayor of Niš, Dragoslav Pavlović.

The hosts of this television include, among others, members of the PR team of the arrested Mayor of Niš, Dragana Sotirovska—Lora Nikolić, who was also the spokesperson for former Minister Zorana Mihajlović, and Marko Rajić, along with Emilija Andrejević, a journalist from Kurir who was employed in the mayor's office.

Avramović himself, who is also the director of Ini media, uses his position to sharply criticize student blockades and civic protests, stating that they represent, among other things, violence by an aggressive minority against which the vast majority of Niš residents stand.

Some opposition actions he linked to "narcotics," and regarding the slogan "I am also a target," he stated that it is roughly "the same as if the Ustashe in Jasenovac were saying 'I am a victim' while they are slaughtering."

In the request for consent to use the name of the City, Avramović states that planned media names include, in addition to Niš TV, Niš Radio and NišNet.

It adds that Niš TV will have visibility at the national level, will work on the "promotion of Niš," and will "inform in a timely and equal manner about events in Niš."

"In the last 20 years, no television station has opened in Niš, and this is a project of several media enthusiasts and entrepreneurs. We are confident that such a complex media outlet, with state-of-the-art equipment, will provide a quality program on par with the best productions in the country, improving the quality of information for the citizens of Niš and all of Serbia," the justification for the request states.

The "Kreni-promeni" movement announced that it has informed the prosecutor's office that Niš TV was illegally established, is broadcasting programs without the necessary permits, is abusing the City name, and was unlawfully added to the MTS package.

The Niš branch of this Movement specified that Niš TV is broadcasting programs without registration in the Register of Media Services and the Register of Media, and that it began operations without the permission of the Regulator, without any verification of conditions and in violation of legal frameworks.

It also stated that this television was unlawfully classified into the MTS package, without written consent from the rights holder to the program and without submission to the Regulator.

According to their assessment, the activities of Niš TV and Ini media represent a violation of several laws and threaten media freedom, as well as the citizens' right to objective information.

The President of Serbia, Vučić, immediately after landing at Niš airport to speak at the central gathering of the International Assembly, visited Niš TV and gave an "exclusive interview" titled "Don't bother me."

Vučić's one-hour appearance was broadcast by national frequency televisions Pink, Prva, and B92, as well as BN, Informer, Kopernikus, and Studio B.

"The occasion for the interview is a large public gathering in Niš. I owe you an immeasurable debt of gratitude for giving your first interview to our television that is starting operations. Experienced colleagues in journalism say that no television in Serbia has ever had such support. Welcome to the free city of Niš," Avramović said to his first guest.

Vučić then reiterated that the student and civic protests are a "colored revolution" that has caused great damage to Serbia, with a message that all those who have committed "serious crimes" against the education and prosperity of the country in recent months will be held accountable.

He blamed the previous government for theft and repeated accusations against the Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, Natalija Jovanović, whom he has previously accused of being a "criminal" and of being behind the student protests in Niš.

He reminded of the economic and other successes of the current government, from road construction to factory openings in Niš, attributing a key role to himself.

He called on citizens to come to the International Assembly and announced that he would announce "important and great" news that would improve the lives of Niš residents.

At the Assembly, he later announced that the citizens of Niš would soon have free public transport, and elementary school students would receive free textbooks.

In part of the Niš public, it can be heard that the government helped open Niš TV because there have been disagreements between the SNS and the owner of Televizija Belami, Vidosav Radomirović, in recent months.

Belami television, which has been editorially close to the progressives for years, has since become more open to student protests, opposition, and critical opinions.

Niš is politically important to Vučić and the progressives because, in the last local elections, together with their coalition partners, they received fewer votes than four opposition lists that surpassed the threshold, yet they managed to form a government with a slim majority provided by one councilor from the Russian Party.

Niška Medijana, one of the five city municipalities, became the only municipality in Serbia where the opposition won.

According to the opposition's claims, public opinion polls show that the rating of the progressives is even lower today.

Who is the owner, according to the APR? According to data from the Agency for Business Registers, Ini media, which is the founder of Niš TV, was established on April 9 of this year. The founders of Ini media are Alo media system from Belgrade, with a share of 51 percent, and Avramović himself, with 49 percent. The total monetary capital of Ini media is 2,000,100 dinars, of which only 100 dinars was paid in on May 26 of this year. The registered monetary contribution of the Alo media system amounts to about one million dinars, of which a contribution of 51 dinars was paid in on May 26 of this year. Avramović has a registered monetary contribution of about 980,000 dinars, and on the same date, he paid in 49 dinars, according to data from the APR.

Source: Danas