RTS producer: We are hostages of privileged minority from news division

When asked about the situation at RTS, Pavlovic, who is a member of the “Our pRoTeSt” initiative that supports the ongoing student protests, said he could only speak to what is happening outside the building.

Students have been blocking access to the RTS facilities at two locations in Belgrade since April 14. They say the blockade will continue until a new public call is issued for the appointment of members to the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) Council, or until the public broadcaster is shut down.

“Only a handful of people can tell you what is going on inside. Since the blockade (of the RTS buildings in Belgrade) started, no one from management has officially reached out to us, directly or indirectly. Some department heads haven’t even spoken to their own staff. There’s no line of communication with management, except for one terse email from HR,” he said.

Pavlovic noted that people are gathering outside the RTS building, curious and asking questions. “They want to know what is happening, what comes next, but no one knows what’s going to happen. The situation outside is uncertain. I’m urging the students to allow security shifts to change, someone needs to be inside the building.”

He speculated that the students likely expected a stronger reaction from RTS employees but believes that’s “not possible.”

Pavlovic pointed to a controversial article that labeled students as Nazis, saying it is “scandalous” to brand the most progressive part of the population with such a term in the 21st century. “I’m sure whoever wrote it knows why they did, and why it was aired. I don’t see how it de-escalates tensions, and I doubt we’ll ever find out who wrote it,” he said.

He stressed the importance of accountability for moving forward.

“As an RTS employee who doesn’t work in news, I still feel some responsibility for what my organization broadcasts. Every employee bears some level of responsibility, some more, some less. We know who does what, who wrote what, and who aired what. There’s no collective guilt, but there is collective responsibility. The blame lies with the individuals who did this.”

Pavlovic believes “many are aware of how the RTS news division operates.”

“We’re hostages of a privileged minority in the newsroom. The news division functions like its own separate TV station. When I say privileged, I mean in multiple ways—production resources, all available equipment at their disposal. But our job is to inform the public accurately and promptly, without withholding information. Their salaries are higher, and there are other factors at play. That’s how loyalty is bought, not to the organization or the country, but to those in power,” he said.

If the students back down, Pavlovic said, the public broadcaster will keep running, but the real question is how it will operate, especially the news division. “It seems management was caught off guard by the blockade, even though we had one just a month ago. They’re surprised again. I don’t think this is the students pressuring RTS or journalism, whether independent or not. This is a final cry, not just from the students, but from the public, for a free public broadcaster.”

He added that his appearance on N1 wasn’t about airing dirty laundry. “I just think the public, the employees, and even management - if they can’t hear the cries of 20,000 students outside RTS – they should hear the cries of the employees,” stressed Pavlovic.