Media Ownership

Politika novine i magazini d.o.o. (PNM), owned by businessman Boban Rajić through his holding company Media 026, has acquired the full publishing portfolio and brand rights of NIN. Rajić already owns Večernje novosti through the same holding structure. The acquisition brings Serbia's three most historically significant print titles - Politika, Večernje novosti, and NIN - under a single owner. Luka Mičeta, former director of state news agency Tanjug and current host on Telekom-owned Newsmax Balkans, has been appointed editor-in-chief. Financial terms were not disclosed.

CRTA's 2026 media ownership analysis identifies six dominant groups - Željko Mitrović, Telekom Srbija, Srđan Milovanović, Dragan Vučićević, United Media, and Predrag Ranković Peconi - that together control the majority of national television, cable channels, online portals, and print outlets in Serbia. The state-owned Telekom Srbija stands out as both a major content owner and the dominant distribution infrastructure, holding all major sports TV rights in the country through Arena Sport.

The Serbian government submitted draft amendments to the Law on public information and media. The most significant change introduces nominal safeguards for media outlets founded by state-owned companies such as Telekom, but provides no independent oversight mechanism and leaves their financing unregulated. New reporting obligations on criminal proceedings apply identical standards to journalists and senior state officials, failing to reflect the particular weight that official statements carry under European human rights standards. Misdemeanor liability is introduced for editors who publish information from closed phases of criminal proceedings. A new obligation requires all public procurement of media services to be advertised in advance on the contracting authority's website.