No "24 Minutes with Zoran Kesić" on Nova S since the fall

The satirical show "24 Minutes with Zoran Kesić" will no longer be broadcast on Nova S television.

As N1 writes, this is the result of an unsuccessful agreement between the show's crew and representatives of the Adria News Network (ANN), which owns Nova S television, which has recently been under new management after being taken over by the Portuguese investment fund Alpac Capital.

The public first learned on September 2nd, when Zoran Kesić announced on social media that the summer break would not end with the start of the new season on September 19th, as planned.

He then said that the "24 Minutes" crew signed the contract for the new season back in June, but that the signature of the other party was missing.

"But on the other (Portuguese) side, what would Amalia say - 'Silencio'. They neither write nor call," reads a Facebook post titled "Fado do Silencio" ("Fado of Silence"), after the famous song by Amalia Rodríguez.

Alpac Capital CEO Pedro Vargas David was officially registered as a director of companies within Adria News Network (ANN) in mid-August.

ANN, however, says that their silence in recent weeks was not an expression of disinterest, but that management decisions should be made after careful consideration, which takes time. Read the full ANN statement at the link.

"Like any other important issue inherited from the previous owner, the contract for the '24 Minutes' show was subject to analysis by the new management. A decision of this importance required an appropriate cost-benefit analysis, especially considering that we took over the management of the company less than two weeks ago," the statement reads.

On the other hand, the "24 Minutes" show team stated in their announcement that, "along with all the logical reasons for the most watched, for many the most beloved show on a TV station, and certainly one of the first associations with that TV station, to continue working," they also acknowledge the "illogical reasons" for a possible termination of cooperation.

"These are illogical times, some powerful people are illogical, it is logical that the illogical becomes logical. And it would not be the first time that we have witnessed the alchemical process of turning something into nothing in the media," state the authors of the show "24 Minutes with Zoran Kesić".

ANN says the main reason for the decision is price. They add that after analysis, it was determined that the show represented one of the most expensive items in the channel's programming schedule, with a total annual cost of more than half a million euros for less than 30 hours of programming per year.

"This amount includes not only the host's fee, but the entire production of the show in our studios, using our equipment and hiring our employees. Compared to the commercial performance of the show, which was marginal, such an expense cannot be justified. Therefore, we have decided not to extend the contract for the show," ANN stated, adding that prudent investment and financial decisions are essential to protecting the future of Nova S and that they will not avoid them.

"That financial discipline ultimately serves to preserve the long-term sustainability of our journalism and protect our ability to invest in the journalists who create it."

ANN added that, while the analysis was still ongoing, "the external supplier decided to speak publicly about this issue, in writing and on the channel's own program."

"We respect his freedom, but we regret such a decision, especially since it did not change either the figures or the costs, and certainly did not affect the final outcome. The new reality at Nova S implies that every decision in this company is and will always be made solely on professional and economically rational grounds. We have also said from day one that we will not accept pressure from any government or client. The same applies to suppliers and interest groups. We stand by this commitment, which equally applies to pressure exerted through public campaigns, including campaigns conducted on our own channels," ANN said.

Zoran Kesić tells N1 that he will announce this decision in the coming days.