The REM Council decided not to impose penalties on RTS, RTV, B92, Pink, Prva, and K1 due to pre-election segments featuring children.

There were not enough votes for further action, as the majority assessed that there was no violation of the law.

Representatives from all television stations attended the REM Council meeting, except for TV Prva, whose representatives submitted a written response.

RTS's legal representative Slobodan Kremenak stated that the children featured in the news segment about the pre-election activities of parties on September 10 were accompanied by parents, and not as active participants in political activities.

Kremenak mentioned during the REM Council meeting that there were no political statements made by the children in the segment and that they "appeared incidentally," also referring to the previous practice of the REM's expert service in a similar case, where it was concluded that there was no violation of the law.

He pointed out that the media rely on the opinions of the REM's expert service, which serve as guidelines for their further actions.

Kremenak added that RTS, following a call from REM, instructed editorial teams to avoid such situations in the future, emphasizing that a similar case, according to him, has not recurred.

RTV Director Goran Karadžić stated that the airing of the spot was not controversial but announced that the television station would not broadcast such programming content in the future.

“We will not continue. If this can be considered controversial, we have made the decision that it will no longer be part of the program. However, I do not believe this was controversial,” said Karadžić in response to questions from certain members of the REM Council regarding why RTV would no longer air such content.

Director of TV K1 Jasmina Bojović emphasized that both her television station and TV Tanjug, from which the content was taken, place significant importance on editorial freedom.

“It is the editorial freedom to assess whether minors were used or exploited for political purposes or not,” Bojović stated, adding that the editorial opinion was that the children were neither used nor exploited.

Šabić: The most direct and obvious exploitation of children

Part of the REM Council voted for the imposition of measures against the television stations that aired the spot, and Council member Rodoljub Šabić stated that it was a case of “the most direct and obvious” exploitation of children for political purposes.

“This is a classic political message. If this is not the exploitation of children for political purposes, then I really do not know what is,” Šabić said.

Out of the seven members present at the REM Council, three voted for further action.

Source: N1