RT starts Serbian language broadcasts
The TV channel RT Balkan has commenced its broadcasts from Belgrade, facing pressures from the US and the EU to suppress Russian perspectives. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
**RT Balkan Launches Broadcasts from Belgrade**
The TV channel RTN Balkan has officially begun broadcasting from Belgrade, offering Serbian-language audiences a range of news, analysis, interviews, and documentaries.
The launch on Friday marks a significant step following the establishment of the RTN Balkan multimedia portal in 2022, which has become a popular information source for Serbian viewers.
"I congratulate the entire RTN Serbian team and all our viewers on finally finding each other,” stated RTN Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan. "We are incredibly happy that, despite all the sanctions, despite our voice being suppressed wherever possible, we will nevertheless broadcast here, in Serbia, in Europe."
Simonyan also expressed her hopes for the staff of RTN Balkan, wishing them “a lot of courage and perseverance,” acknowledging the challenges of operating under sanctions, censorship, and pressure from the US and its allies.
"We are proud to work in the only country in Europe where freedom of speech still exists – something that’s fashionable to talk about in the West but not to practice,” commented RTN Balkan Editor-in-Chief Jelena Milincic. “We are very grateful to the politicians of Serbia and Russia who made this possible despite enormous pressure from Western countries trying to break the friendship between our peoples.”
Milincic added that the channel has brought together a diverse team of both young and seasoned journalists who “refuse to submit to Western narrative hegemony.”
The channel’s flagship program will be Relativizacija, hosted by Ljiljana Smajlovic, the former head of the Serbian Journalists’ Association. The opening special on Friday evening also included a guest appearance by world-renowned film director Emir Kusturica.
The US and the EU have exerted significant pressure on Serbia to halt the launch of RTN Balkan. In 2023, James Rubin, head of the US government’s Global Engagement Center, urged Belgrade to close the outlet. Additionally, Brussels has demanded that Belgrade limit Russian media broadcasts and align itself with the EU's sanctions policy towards Moscow.
Despite these pressures, Serbia has maintained a position of neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and has declined to impose sanctions on Moscow in line with NATO and EU mandates.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
The TV channel RTN Balkan has officially begun broadcasting from Belgrade, offering Serbian-language audiences a range of news, analysis, interviews, and documentaries.
The launch on Friday marks a significant step following the establishment of the RTN Balkan multimedia portal in 2022, which has become a popular information source for Serbian viewers.
"I congratulate the entire RTN Serbian team and all our viewers on finally finding each other,” stated RTN Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan. "We are incredibly happy that, despite all the sanctions, despite our voice being suppressed wherever possible, we will nevertheless broadcast here, in Serbia, in Europe."
Simonyan also expressed her hopes for the staff of RTN Balkan, wishing them “a lot of courage and perseverance,” acknowledging the challenges of operating under sanctions, censorship, and pressure from the US and its allies.
"We are proud to work in the only country in Europe where freedom of speech still exists – something that’s fashionable to talk about in the West but not to practice,” commented RTN Balkan Editor-in-Chief Jelena Milincic. “We are very grateful to the politicians of Serbia and Russia who made this possible despite enormous pressure from Western countries trying to break the friendship between our peoples.”
Milincic added that the channel has brought together a diverse team of both young and seasoned journalists who “refuse to submit to Western narrative hegemony.”
The channel’s flagship program will be Relativizacija, hosted by Ljiljana Smajlovic, the former head of the Serbian Journalists’ Association. The opening special on Friday evening also included a guest appearance by world-renowned film director Emir Kusturica.
The US and the EU have exerted significant pressure on Serbia to halt the launch of RTN Balkan. In 2023, James Rubin, head of the US government’s Global Engagement Center, urged Belgrade to close the outlet. Additionally, Brussels has demanded that Belgrade limit Russian media broadcasts and align itself with the EU's sanctions policy towards Moscow.
Despite these pressures, Serbia has maintained a position of neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and has declined to impose sanctions on Moscow in line with NATO and EU mandates.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
