Scandal at REM: four members who voted against monitoring Informer had requested it themselves

Four members of the Council of REM, the Serbian electronic media regulator, who voted against expanding the list of broadcasters under continuous monitoring during the election campaign, had earlier proposed in writing the monitoring of Informer television themselves, the Serbian newspaper Danas reveals.

According to Danas, which says it had access to the decision prepared for the September 28 session, the initial document foresaw adding TV Informer — a pro-government television owned by Dragan J. Vučićević — to the list of media monitored during the campaign. The members’ written proposals also included the Newsmax Balkans and Insajder channels.

In the final vote, the result was 4 to 4 — 5 votes were needed — so the proposal failed and Informer was not placed under continuous monitoring.

Danas lists the proposals: Miloš Garić, Milan Petković and Snežana Miljković proposed monitoring Informer and Newsmax Balkans; Rodoljub Šabić and Mileva Malešić proposed Insajder and Informer on September 22; Dubravka Valić Nedeljković proposed Informer, a proposal also agreed to by Ira Krajišnik Prodanov.

Garić, one of the four members who changed their stance, told Danas there is no mystery: according to him, REM’s professional services lacked the technical capacity to expand the list and public pressure influenced his vote.

Member Rodoljub Šabić thinks differently, suspecting outside interference: “four serious and mature men proposed something and after about two hours voted against their own proposal,” he told Danas, adding that such a change in such a short time does not happen without influence.

Dubravka Valić Nedeljković also spoke of an unexpected turn: “something happened between 10 and 12 o’clock,” she said, referring to the hours before the vote.

REM Council chairman Stevica Smederevac stated they tried to find a solution and that talks were held, but no agreement was reached, adding that the fact a broadcaster is not under continuous monitoring does not mean it will not be monitored at all.

Recall that on September 10 REM launched 24-hour monitoring of election campaign coverage on 11 television channels: channels 1 and 2 of the public broadcasters of Serbia and Vojvodina (RTS and RTV), Pink, Prva, B92 and Happy with national frequency, as well as the cable channels N1, Nova S and K1. Serbia’s snap parliamentary elections are held on December 14.