Group of civil and media organizations calls on BC Partners and UG to refrain from selling ANN independent media
A group of civil society organizations and media associations announced today that they are concerned about the potential sale of Serbia's last independent media outlets to Alpaca Capital, adding that this would represent a direct and inevitable threat to media freedom in Serbia and the Western Balkans.
TL;DR
- Civil society and media organizations are concerned about the potential sale of Serbia's last independent media outlets to Alpaca Capital.
- This potential sale is seen as a direct threat to media freedom in Serbia and the Western Balkans.
- The acquisition could impact the editorial independence of major media, including N1, Nova S, Radar, and Danas.
- Alpaca Capital's existing media investments are reportedly marked by accusations of censorship and political interference.
- Organizations are urging the Luxembourg media regulator and the European Commission to assess Alpaca Capital's suitability as a media owner.
- They call for the deal to consider past experiences with Euronews and links to Hungarian state capital and Serbian political authorities.
- The EU accession process for Serbia could be affected if the sale proceeds with a buyer linked to state-controlled media.
- BC Partners and United Group are urged to refrain from selling to entities with a poor track record on media freedom and to protect editorial independence.