REM initiated proceedings against Informer and Prva; there are no grounds for N1.
The Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) decided at a meeting held on Thursday, October 29, to initiate proceedings against the television stations Informer and Prva for possible violations of regulations during the election campaign, while concluding that there are no grounds for initiating proceedings against the television station N1. The meeting also reviewed complaints against Informer, the selection of members of the boards of public media services, the departure of REM director Rajka Galin Ćertić, and the employment status of spokesperson Olivera Zekić.
The procedure against the Informer television station was initiated by a unanimous decision of the REM Council, and a representative of that television station is expected to respond to the allegations in the application at the next Council meeting. The President of the REM Council, Stevica Smederevac, announced that he has instructed the Oversight and Analysis Service to compare existing complaints against Informer with the claims made in the initiative submitted by 32 organizations. In a 52-page document, the organizations point out possible violations of regulations.
The meeting also addressed the issue of appointing members to the boards of Radio-Television of Serbia (RTS) and Radio-Television of Vojvodina (RTV). Smederevac announced that a proposal for announcing a competition to fill these bodies could be considered at the next meeting. RTS unions previously requested an urgent response from REM, warning that the terms of six out of nine members of the RTS Board have expired.
REM Council member Dubravka Valić Nedeljković pointed out that resignations in the RTS leadership are not sufficient and that it is essential to determine accountability for their past work. Council member Rodoljub Šabić criticized the lack of regulatory measures during the election campaign, highlighting numerous complaints and possible legal violations.
Šabić and Valić Nedeljković requested that the former director of REM, Rajka Galin Ćertić, be invited to one of the upcoming meetings to explain the reasons for her departure from the position. Although her official reason for leaving was stated as retirement, which she reportedly became eligible for three years ago, Council members raised the question of the circumstances under which she left her position, immediately after a verbal conflict with the editor-in-chief of Informer, Dragan J. Vučićević.
Valić Nedeljković also requested official information regarding the employment status of REM spokesperson Olivera Zekić, specifically whether she is still employed at the regulatory body.
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