NUNS: Yettel dropping N1 and Nova from its packages more than business - media pluralism and public interest at risk

In a press release, NUNS described as particularly concerning the fact that this decision is being made in a highly concentrated media content distribution market and at a time when N1, Nova and other Adria News Network (ANN) newsrooms have long been exposed to political and economic pressure, as well as uncertainty regarding their future position.

The Association noted that according to the latest data from the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications and Postal Services (RATEL) for the first quarter of 2026, the Telekom Srbija Group held 62.3 percent of the media content distribution market by number of subscribers, SBB held 29 percent, and Yettel 5.4 percent. Following the integration of Yettel and SBB, the distribution market is effectively concentrated between two large business groups, one of which is Telekom Srbija, a majority state-owned company, NUNS said.

“In such an environment, distributors’ decisions concerning the availability of news channels cannot be viewed solely as private business decisions. They may directly affect the reach of media outlets, their economic sustainability and, consequently, the position of the journalists and other media workers they employ,” the Association warned in a press release.

NUNS particularly notes that the explanation referring to the “improvement of the user experience” raises additional questions if N1 and Nova were specifically singled out for removal from the packages in advance, while subscribers were not offered an equal opportunity to remove other news channels instead. Under such a model, it is difficult to determine whether the pilot project is genuinely testing users’ preferences or their willingness to accept a package without two specific media outlets in exchange for a lower price, the press release said.

“This case must therefore also be viewed within the broader context of changes in Serbia’s media and distribution markets, including the removal of N1 and Nova from Total TV’s offer after it came under the control of Telekom Srbija, as well as previously documented statements and discussions about scaling down the operations of United Media outlets in Serbia (transcript of the Lucic–Miller conversation),” NUNS stated.

Announced elections and the importance of access to diverse sources of information

Another factor relevant to assessing the potential impact on media pluralism is the current political and social context, particularly in view of the announced elections and the importance of access to diverse sources of information during the pre-election period, the press release said. According to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026, N1 and RTS are the most widely used news sources in Serbia, each reaching 38 percent of the population weekly, while Nova ranks second with a weekly reach of 24 percent, NUNS said, adding that, at the same time, N1 and Nova are among the media outlets enjoying the highest levels of public trust in Serbia.

“In this context, the fact that the decision specifically concerns N1 and Nova S, which are widely recognized as important sources of information, warrants further scrutiny of its potential impact on pluralism and citizens’ right to receive information from diverse sources,” NUNS stated.

It recalled that the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) establishes citizens’ right of access to a plurality of editorially independent media content as one of its key standards. Through its case law concerning Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the European Court of Human Rights has also emphasized the state’s positive obligation to ensure the conditions necessary for effective media pluralism.

The state may intervene when operators’ conduct threatens the public interest

NUNS therefore calls on RATEL, the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM), and the Commission for the Protection of Competition to examine this case, each within its respective remit, including its impact on market competition, the equal treatment of media content providers and media pluralism. Existing legislation provides mechanisms through which the state may intervene when concentration in distribution or the conduct of operators threatens the public interest, including the possibility of imposing an obligation to carry certain media content when the relevant statutory conditions are met, NUNS said.

NUNS points out that media freedom does not merely mean protecting journalists from direct pressure. It also entails, as noted, creating conditions in which professional newsrooms can reach their audiences, journalists can work free from economic and political pressure, and citizens have a genuine choice between different, editorially independent sources of information.

“Ultimately, the issue is not merely whether N1 and Nova will remain available in a particular television package. The question is whether Serbia’s highly concentrated distribution market will allow for a plurality of media content or whether decisions made by a handful of dominant companies will determine which sources of information can reach citizens and under what conditions,” NUNS concluded.