In an unprecedented moment for Eastern European media, Serbian regional public broadcaster Radio Television of Vojvodina (RTV) issued an extraordinary live on-air apology to its audience, acknowledging years of uncritical, biased, and pro-government coverage.
The dramatic broadcast aired during the opening segment of RTV’s 5:00 PM news bulletin on Monday, October 26, 2026—just one day after long-standing authoritarian leader Aleksandar Vučić and his ruling alliance suffered a historic election defeat at the hands of the student-led opposition movement.
‘We Failed To Fulfil Our Role’
The bulletin opened by airing footage of jubilant street celebrations across Novi Sad and other Serbian cities celebrating the victory of the “Student List” movement—scenes RTV admitted it had deliberately omitted from its coverage the previous night.
News anchor Goran Eror delivered the official statement live on air:
”For many years, this public service broadcaster failed to fulfil its role. Things were kept quiet, one-sided information was provided, and reporting was uncritical. The right questions were not asked, or no questions were asked at all. We owe our viewers an apology for that.”
Eror clarified that while internal journalists and staff members had pushed for professional standards and free reporting, they “did not win the battle in time,” but pledged that the movement for genuine media independence would continue.
Political Earthquake and Leadership Shake-Up
The televised apology followed the extraordinary results of the October 25 early parliamentary elections, where the student-backed opposition captured over 52% of the vote to end Vučić’s 14-year reign.
The fallout within RTV was immediate. Acting editor-in-chief of RTV’s main channel (RTV 1), Nenad Ćaćić, resigned from his position following long-standing demands from the independent Nezavisnost (“Independence”) trade union regarding state control over the media. Journalist Blažo Popović was appointed as his replacement, with Predrag Novković stepping in as program director.
Ripple Effects Across Pro-Regime Outlets
The political transition triggered chaos across other pro-government media networks in Serbia. Protesters reportedly entered the newsrooms of government-aligned networks, including Informer TV, demanding live apologies for years of propaganda and biased coverage.
The dramatic turnaround mirrors a similar transition that occurred in Hungary earlier in 2026, where state broadcaster MTVA issued a similar on-air apology following a political shift.
