Update
Voter register audit Commission distances itself from the Go...
A week after the Government’s IT Office reported a near-complete match between the voter regis...
Television reporting between 28 September and 4 October was again marked by unequal representation of the ruling majority and the opposition, although the gap was narrower than the week before. Representatives of the ruling majority received 66% of the time allocated to political actors on national television, and the opposition 34%. In the previous week the split was 75 to 25.
Coverage of the ruling majority was predominantly positive (53%) or neutral (46%), and negative in only 1% of the time. For the opposition, 36% of the time was negative, 51% neutral and 13% positive. Representatives of the ruling majority addressed the audience directly in 75% of their airtime, opposition representatives in 56%.
Coverage of the ruling majority was predominantly positive (53%) or neutral (46%), and negative in only 1% of the time. For the opposition, 36% of the time was negative, 51% neutral and 13% positive. Representatives of the ruling majority addressed the audience directly in 75% of their airtime, opposition representatives in 56%.
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The ruling majority received two-thirds of the airtime and almost no negative coverage
Share of political airtime in prime time, tone of coverage and role in coverage
Ruling majority 66%Opposition 34%
Tone of coverage
Ruling majority
Negative 1%Neutral 46%Positive 53%
Opposition
Negative 36%Neutral 51%Positive 13%
Role in coverage
Ruling majority
Active 75%Passive 25%
Opposition
Active 56%Passive 44%
The Student List, the most visible opposition list, received 40% of opposition airtime. 80% of its coverage was negative, and almost all of its positive coverage appeared in the election-list presentation blocks.
Source: CRTA Election Observation Mission media monitoring, extended prime time (18:00-24:00), 28 September - 4 October 2026. Sample: RTS 1, TV Pink, TV Prva, TV B92 and TV Happy.
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For the third week in a row, the Student List was the most visible opposition list, with 40% of the time allocated to the opposition. 80% of its coverage was negative and 9% positive, and almost all of that positive coverage appeared in the election-list presentation blocks, in which broadcasters air promotional clips supplied by the lists themselves. Its representatives addressed the audience directly in only 12% of their airtime; for the rest, they were spoken about by journalists, presenters or other political actors.
Aleksandar Vučić, who resigned as President of Serbia on 27 September and heads the United Serbia list, alone received 31% of the time allocated to all political actors. That is almost as much as the entire opposition received (34%). Three-quarters of his coverage was positive (76%) and the rest neutral, and he addressed the audience directly in 69% of his airtime. In the previous week, while he still held the office of President, his share was 60%.
Aleksandar Vučić, who resigned as President of Serbia on 27 September and heads the United Serbia list, alone received 31% of the time allocated to all political actors. That is almost as much as the entire opposition received (34%). Three-quarters of his coverage was positive (76%) and the rest neutral, and he addressed the audience directly in 69% of his airtime. In the previous week, while he still held the office of President, his share was 60%.
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Aleksandar Vučić alone received almost as much airtime as the entire opposition
Share of political airtime in prime time, tone of coverage and direct access to the audience
Aleksandar VučićRuling majority without VučićOpposition
Tone of Vučić coverage
Negative 0%Neutral 24%Positive 76%
Role of Vučić coverage
Active 69%Passive 31%
Aleksandar Vučić resigned as President of Serbia on 27 September and heads the United Serbia list. None of his coverage was negative.
Source: CRTA Election Observation Mission media monitoring, extended prime time (18:00-24:00), 28 September - 4 October 2026. Sample: RTS 1, TV Pink, TV Prva, TV B92 and TV Happy.
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On Radio Television of Serbia, the ruling majority received 72% of the time and the opposition 28% - a smaller gap than in the previous week, when the split was 93 to 7. That figure comes with a qualification that changes how it reads. Opposition representatives received no airtime in the regular programming of RTS: all of their time on the public broadcaster was confined to the designated election campaign blocks.
RTS covered the ruling majority predominantly neutrally (59%) or positively (35%), and negatively in 6% of the time. Coverage of the opposition was 48% neutral, 35% positive and 17% negative. Since all of the opposition's airtime fell within the election blocks, so did all of its positive and negative coverage. Representatives of the ruling majority addressed the audience directly in 74% of their airtime, opposition representatives in 65%.
Opposition representatives received no airtime in the regular programming of RTS: all of their time on the public broadcaster was confined to the designated election campaign blocks.
RTS covered the ruling majority predominantly neutrally (59%) or positively (35%), and negatively in 6% of the time. Coverage of the opposition was 48% neutral, 35% positive and 17% negative. Since all of the opposition's airtime fell within the election blocks, so did all of its positive and negative coverage. Representatives of the ruling majority addressed the audience directly in 74% of their airtime, opposition representatives in 65%.
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On RTS the ruling majority received 72% of the airtime, and the opposition appeared only in election blocks
Share of political airtime on RTS 1, tone of coverage and role in coverage
Ruling majority 72%Opposition 28%
Tone of coverage
Ruling majority
Negative 6%Neutral 59%Positive 35%
Opposition
Negative 17%Neutral 48%Positive 35%
Role in coverage
Ruling majority
Active 74%Passive 26%
Opposition
Active 65%Passive 35%
All of the opposition's airtime on RTS 1 was confined to the designated election campaign blocks. Opposition representatives received no airtime in the broadcaster's regular programming.
Source: CRTA Election Observation Mission media monitoring, extended prime time (18:00-24:00), 28 September - 4 October 2026. Sample: RTS 1.
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This is the third edition of the weekly review. The figures come from the media monitoring of the CRTA Election Observation Mission, which covers extended prime time, between 18:00 and 24:00, on RTS 1, TV Pink, TV Prva, TV B92 and TV Happy. How airtime is measured and how the figures should be read is explained on the section page.
