Serbian 'Alo' group's possible takeover of Nasha TV and Radio RFM under investigation
Financial Police says it opened an investigation; AVMU has paused a change-of-ownership procedure but has not publicly named the outlets.
Unofficial information suggests that Nasha TV and Radio RFM may be the outlets for which the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services (AVMU) has halted a procedure to change ownership, but there is no official confirmation yet from AVMU or the Financial Police that the suspension refers specifically to those two media.
The Financial Police has confirmed it opened a case and is examining indications of a possible entry of dubious capital into the Macedonian media market. Officials said the police did not name the television or radio station under investigation, and that AVMU stopped the ownership-change procedure following institutional action.
Notifications and competition filings
Notifications visible in the Commission for Protection of Competition show that concentrations were filed under which Alo Media System DOOEL Skopje would acquire control over Nasha TV and Radio RFM. According to available details, a Macedonian company was established specifically to implement the takeover of the two outlets.
The owner of Nasha TV and RFM, Risto Gogovski, has confirmed that a letter of intent has been signed with the interested buyer, but that the purchase agreement has not been finalized. He indicated the process depends on decisions by AVMU and the Commission for Protection of Competition, after which a potential transaction could move forward; the value of the possible sale was not disclosed due to confidentiality between the parties.
The group behind the proposed acquisition is Alo Media System, a Serbian media group best known for the daily tabloid ALO and its website. Its dominant owner is Sasa Blagojević, a businessman who in recent years has expanded his presence in the regional media sector. The group's portfolio includes Studio B in Belgrade; Alo Media System holds a 90 percent stake in Best Media Tim, while the remaining 10 percent is held by Insajder Tim, publisher of Informer. The company also has internet portals in Montenegro and in Serbia has acquired several local television stations, among them TV Priboj, TV Lav Plus and Nis TV.
Questions over Serbian media capital entering North Macedonia resurfaced this week after five national broadcasters, united in the Macedonian Media Association (MMA), and the public service broadcaster MRT, accused some Serbian television services of circumventing Macedonian rules. They specifically named Arena M1, M2 and M3 Premium, claiming the programmes are effectively produced in North Macedonia while AVMU treats them as foreign programme services. AVMU has rejected those allegations as inaccurate and unfounded. Meanwhile, SDSM called for an institutional review of what it described as the "entry of the Serbian media machine into Macedonia," and the Financial Police announced it is checking all information and indications made public.
At this moment there is no official confirmation from AVMU or the Financial Police that the halted procedure concerns Nasha TV and Radio RFM specifically.
Photo: freerangestock.com / ilustracija
