Foreign company seeks to block broadcasting of domestic TV channels in Bosnia’s Federation

Portuguese company Vip Team United Unipessoal Lda & Comandita Portugal has filed lawsuits in courts across Sarajevo, Tuzla, Bihac, and Zenica, demanding that all telecom operators in the FBiH — including BH Telecom, Telemach, TXTV, and others — be banned from distributing domestic TV channels originating from FBiH. If courts grant the request, this could effectively prevent millions of viewers from watching popular channels such as Hayat, OBN, O Kanal, OTV Valentino, and Izvorna TV.

What has raised further concern is that the owner of the Portuguese firm is reportedly a citizen of Serbia, operating from within Serbia. This has led local media and telecom operators to question the true motive behind the legal action, particularly why a foreign individual, through a foreign company, is attempting to block access to public media in another country.

RTVTK, a regional broadcaster, warns that if the courts approve the request, it would set a dangerous precedent: that individuals from neighbouring states could dictate what FBiH citizens are allowed to watch on their own televisions.

The Portuguese firm claims it holds exclusive broadcasting rights for the TV channels in question, though no such agreement has yet been submitted to the courts. According to RTVTK, insiders suggest the alleged contract contradicts Bosnian legal standards and may constitute a prohibited agreement that should not be admissible in court.

The legal claim reportedly includes a financial ultimatum: either shut down the distribution of these TV channels, or pay the Portuguese company 18 million Bosnian marks (some €9 million) annually. Alternatively, FBiH citizens would be required to pay 6 million marks (€3 million) per year for continued access — an amount critics say effectively imposes a foreign “tax” on domestic content that had previously been available free of charge.

Telecom operators in FBiH have long broadcast these channels in compliance with rules set by Bosnia’s Communications Regulatory Agency (CRA), ensuring that key local content reaches all households without charge. The current legal action is seen by some as a coordinated attempt to commercialize and control that distribution under foreign influence.

“This is not just a commercial dispute,” one industry source said. “It’s a direct attack on the media sovereignty of the Federation and the rights of its citizens.”

As the legal battle unfolds, there is growing pressure on Bosnian authorities to respond decisively and prevent what some are calling an unprecedented encroachment on public access to domestic media.