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Head of Serbia's public RTS TV resigns after Student List election victory

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The Straits Times. (2026, October 29). Head of Serbia's public RTS TV resigns after Student List election victory. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/head-of-serbias-public-rts-tv-resigns-after-student-list-election-victory

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The Straits Times · collected 2026-10-29 · by The Straits Times

Quick Summary

Manja Grcic, director of Serbia’s state television RTS, resigned after the Student List won a significant election victory over long-time leader Aleksandar Vucic. In her resignation statement on October 29, Grcic acknowledged public perception that her continued leadership could hinder necessary changes in media practices. The Student List secured 140 seats in Serbia's 250-seat parliament, according to the electoral commission, marking a major shift from the previous political landscape dominated by Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party with 104 seats. The outcome reflects growing dissatisfaction with the previous government's tight control over media and calls for reform.
Written by AI on 2026-10-29, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Manja Grcic, the director of Serbia's public television station RTS, resigned on Wednesday after The Student List protest movement won a landslide victory in recent elections, ousting longtime leader Aleksandar Vucic. In her resignation statement, Grcic acknowledged that some segments of the public viewed her tenure as an obstacle to change. The director expressed hope for swift and lawful transition of leadership by the station's managing board.

Vucic had long controlled media operations in Serbia since serving as information minister under former leader Slobodan Milosevic in the 1990s. Following Vucic’s defeat, RTV, the public broadcaster in the Vojvodina region, apologized to viewers for failing to provide balanced reporting during his rule.

This resignation mirrors a similar move by Hungary's main state TV channel earlier this year after their ruling party lost an election. The timing and nature of Grcic's departure underscore the anticipated shift towards more independent media under the new government.

Written for “Serbian Public TV Chief Resigns” on 2026-11-04, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Serbian Public TV Chief Resigns
Politics · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

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Claims extracted
14
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
0%
0 of 14 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans strongly left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
66/100
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Topics

Crta RTS RTS TV Serbia Serbian

Subjects

Serbia GPE · 3× Crta ORG · 2× Vucic PERSON · 2× Aleksandar Vucic PERSON · 1× Grcic PERSON · 1× Manja Grcic PERSON · 1× RTS ORG · 1× RTS TV ORG · 1× Serbian NORP · 1× the Managing Board ORG · 1×

Narrative

The announcement was reminiscent of a move by the main Hungarian state TV channel, which in July, following the election defeat of former Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party three months earlier, displayed a black screen with the message: "Public media cannot lie.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-29
🔮 The country is waiting to see who the students will appoint as prime minister and to other key positions.
2026-10-29 · The Straits Times
Head of Serbia's public RTS TV resigns after Student List election victory · assertive framing

Claims (14 extracted, 0 hedged)

Head of Serbia's public RTS TV resigns after Student List election victory Oct 29 - asserted
Head → resign → victory
The director of Serbian state television RTS has resigned, following a landslide election win by a student-led protest movement over longtime leader Aleksandar Vucic. asserted
director → resign → Vucic
Manja Grcic handed in her resignation late on Wednesday after talks with union representatives. asserted
Grcic → hand → representatives
In a statement, she said that she was aware that among some parts of the public, her stay in office is "temporarily perceived as an obstacle to change". asserted
stay → say → change
"I expect the Managing Board, within the scope of its legal authority, to take all necessary steps without delay to ensure continuity of leadership and a lawful handover of duties," Grcic said. asserted
Grcic → expect → duties
Vucic, who served as information minister under Slobodan Milosevic in the 1990s, maintained a tight grip over the media. asserted
who → serve → media
The Vojvodina region's public broadcaster RTV began its evening news bulletin on Monday by apologising to viewers for failing to fulfil its role, citing uncritical one-sided reporting. asserted
broadcaster → begin → reporting
The announcement was reminiscent of a move by the main Hungarian state TV channel, which in July, following the election defeat of former Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party three months earlier, displayed a black screen with the message: "Public media cannot lie. asserted
media → follow → message
We apologise for doing so for many years." asserted
We → apologise → years
Reporters Without Borders ranked Serbia 104th out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, its lowest position ever. asserted
Reporters → rank → position
The Crta election monitor said last week that television stations with national reach gave three-quarters of the time allotted to politicians to government representatives. asserted
stations → say → representatives
The Student List was portrayed negatively more than 80% of the time it was discussed, Crta added. asserted
Crta → portray → time
In its latest update on Wednesday, Serbia's electoral commission said the students had secured 140 seats in the country's 250-seat parliament, with Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party on 104, although the result is still not finalised. asserted
result → say → 104
The country is waiting to see who the students will appoint as prime minister and to other key positions. asserted
students → wait → positions
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