O2

TV O2 succeeded TV B92, which was established in 2001, to the satisfaction of long-time listeners of Radio B92 – the first independent radio station in Serbia which was founded in 1989 by Veran Matic. As was the case with the radio station, the target group of TV B92 were intellectuals and cosmopolitans, young urban people opposed to the authoritarian and nationalist demagoguery of former President Slobodan Milosevic.

However, the democratic changes of 5th October 2000 did not necessarily mean better days for B92, which competed with many other media. Once known for its investigative programs and quality news shows, TV B92 was moving ever more in a commercial direction, broadcasting the Serbian version of Western reality programs and quizzes such as Big Brother, Millionaire and others, later entirely shifting to commercial content, leaving many of its former advocates feeling let down.

From 11th September 2017, TV B92 changed its name to TV O2, in the process changing its entire program and many of the employees. This change, according to the television’s statement, ensued after detailed planning and analysis, preparation of a strategy for the further improvement of the work of the station and strengthening of its position, with a business vision aimed at not just the domestic market, but also the international one. The management also claimed that numerous studies and research had been carried out showing that those surveyed had positively assessed the changes which were to ensue in these segments – the visual, program and even the name components.

In December 2018, Kopernikus Corporation, owned by the brother of a senior official of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), bought the entire Antenna Group, including televisions Prva and O2, for €180 million, having sold its cable network to state-owned telecommunications company Telekom Srbija for nearly €200 million. The Antimonopoly Commission approved this sale as Antenna Group did not exceed 40% of the market share, the threshold of media ownership concentration defined in the Law on Electronic Media.

TV O2 is today the fifth most popular TV station in the country with a viewership share of 4.68% according to the Nielsen data for the period 1st January 2018 to 31st December 2018.

Key facts

Audience Share

4.68%

Ownership Type

Private

Geographic Coverage

National

Content Type

Free content

Data Publicly Available

ownership data is easily available from other sources, e. g. public registries etc.

2 ♥

Media Companies / Groups

Kopernikus Corporation

Ownership

Ownership Structure

O2 TV is entirely owned by Kopernikus Corporation.

Voting Rights

Missing Data

Individual Owner

Srđan Milovanović

100%

Media Companies / Groups

Kopernikus Corporation

Facts

General Information

Founding Year

2000

Founder

Veran Matic

Affiliated Interests Founder

Veran Matic has been engaged in journalism since 1984 with alternative and youth media in Belgrade, Zagreb and Ljubljana. He began his career with NTV Studio B and in May 1989 he established Radio B92, the first independent radio station in Serbia. Under his guidance, during the past 20 years, Radio B92 has set up and developed its numerous activities with focus on three media - radio, television and internet. Matic is also a co-founder of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM). He is one of the most uncompromising fighters for media freedom and freedom of expression, leading him to receive numerous prestigious international awards for his work over the last 20 years. He studied world literature at the Faculty of Philology, University of Belgrade. As majority owner of B92 Trust Fund, he appears to be more occupied with Fund’s humanitarian projects such as soup kitchens, incubators in Serbian hospitals, a campaign "Battle for the Babies" etc. Since 2013, he also serves as the Chairman of the Commission for investigating killings of journalists, established in February 2013 on his initiative and supported by the Serbian Government. He is also 100% owner of Samizdat publishing house.

Ceo

Vladan Andjelkovic

Affiliated Interests Ceo

A lawyer who became presiding head of B92 ltd assembly and then acting head, after which he became general manager of Antenna Group Serbia, B92 and Prva.

Editor-In-Chief

Dragan Karadzic

Affiliated Interests Editor-In-Chief

Dragan Karadzic came to the helm of O2 TV and Play Radio in March 2019 from the position of Deputy President of the Managing Council of RTS, having previously been an editor and journalist on the RTS third channel. On social media, he is known as a great supporter and promoter of the policies of the ruling party. Although upon arrival he promised an improvement in the program and increased viewership, one of Karadzic’s first moves was to put an end to repeat showings of the TV show 24 Minuta which treated events in the country during the previous week in a satirical way.