REM: No sanctions for Pink TV after insults on N1 reporter

Vesna Lalić/Nova.rs

Serbia's Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) Council ruled on Friday at its extraordinary session not to launch a procedure against the pro-government Pink TV for insults on an N1 reporter in its live programme on November 8.

During Pink TV talk show Nit-Tvit, a folk singer threw a serious sexist and other insults on Zaklina Tatalovic, N1 reporter, who wasn’t present in the studio.

Singer Aleksandar Vulasanovic, aka Aca Lukas, said he was provoked by Tatalovic’s tweet who someone sent him during the show. He later apologised, but many saw it as a fake regret.

On Thursday, two REM’s Council members demanded a public session, warning that an extraordinary online or phone meeting was not appropriate.

Another REM’s Council member Visnja Arandjelovic, told the Association of Serbia’s Journalists (UNS) on Friday she also thought the session should have been open to media „the topics needed to be discussed and that they deserved more time than e-mail or phone call could offer.

REM did not publish the result of the voting.

After the show, many journalists’ organisationscondemned the insults, while Pink TV said such things happened in a live programme defending the show’s host.