Podgorica, (MINA) – The Agency for Audiovisual Media Services (AMU) has initiated ex officio proceedings against TV Adria and TV Prva for broadcasting the documentary “Referendum – A Story of Fictional Freedom”, citing the existence of elements of hate speech, incitement of national intolerance and discrimination.

The AMU Council (SAMU) decided to temporarily suspend the reception and retransmission of Informer TV program for six months due to the violation of Article 7 of the European Convention on Transfrontier Television.

According to them, the documentary represents only one example of the content identified within the wider corpus of controversial materials broadcast by Informer TV and does not represent an isolated case in regard to established patterns of violation of professional and regulatory standards.

“At the same time, in accordance with the Law on Audiovisual Media Services and within its competences, the Agency has initiated ex officio proceedings against the broadcasters registered in Montenegro – TV Adria and TV Prva – for broadcasting the same documentary, due to the elements of hate speech, incitement to national intolerance and discrimination”, the press release says.

The SAMU, as stated, by analyzing the contents broadcast by Informer TV for a long time, identified the existence of a consistent editorial pattern in which, through informative, political, debate and documentary programs, qualifications were placed that insult the dignity of the citizens of Montenegro and undermine mutual respect among social and national communities.