Orion Telekom stops airing N1 in Serbia overnight

Orion informed its clients that N1 would be removed minutes before N1 went off the air.

N1 learned off the record that “another operator has exclusive rights to air N1 … which is why Orion had to remove the news channel”. N1 asked which operator but did not get a response. Orion said they couldn’t inform their clients any sooner.

Orion owner Slobodan Djinovic did not reply to calls from an N1 reporter.

N1 has a contract with Orion until 2026.

The Efektiva consumer association stated that Orion’s actions were unprecedented, illegal, and unprofessional, as the law requires them to inform clients of any changes to programming at least 30 days in advance and could face fines of up to 2 million Dinars. Efektiva called all Orion clients to report the operator to the authorities, adding that they have the right to terminate their contracts with the operator.