OGAE Serbia :: Vaš evrovizijski svet
Olivera Kovačević, the former supervisor and editor of the Pesma za Evroviziju festival, has been dismissed from her position by the decision of the Director General of Radio Television of Serbia (RTS), Dragan Bujošević. In her statement, Kovačević pointed out that the dismissal occurred because she refused to censor festival participants who expressed support for student protests during the competition.
The statement indicates that wearing badges, showing a red hand, raising student ID cards, and performing the song „Za milion godina“ (For a Million Years) were interpreted as political messages. Kovačević explains that, as an editor, she did not want to censor anyone, and that PZE25 demonstrated that RTS is open to all its citizens and that artists have the right to their own opinions, as long as they behave respectfully and do not offend others.
She also noted that the festival was boycotted by a large number of musicians who canceled their performances in the show portion of the program. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Kovačević claims, had no objections to the festival and broadcast the final evening on its official YouTube channel.
Conflict with authorities and lawsuit against Aleksandar Vučić
Kovačević emphasizes that the reasons for her dismissal are deeper and extend beyond the festival itself. In her statement, she mentions that she publicly supported students, signed a letter from a group of employees demanding that the RTS News Program perform its job professionally, and sued Aleksandar Vučić for, as she puts it, a series of falsehoods he made about her and the RTS festival.
She believes that these actions were the key and necessary reasons for her dismissal.
Career at RTS and significant projects
In her statement, Kovačević also briefly reflected on her extensive career at RTS. She joined the company in 2006 at the invitation of Aleksandar Tijanić, where she hosted the shows „OKO“ and „Da Možda Ne“ before being transferred to the Entertainment Program.
During her eight-year term as the chief and managing editor of the Entertainment Program, she launched a series of successful formats, including „Luda noć“ (Crazy Night), „Najlepše narodne pesme“ (The Most Beautiful Folk Songs), „Bunt rok festival“ (Rebel Rock Festival), and, of course, the Pesma za Evroviziju festival. She was also involved in commemorating significant anniversaries, such as 100 years since World War I and 60 years of television in Serbia.
In conclusion, Kovačević stressed that she never held the positions of assistant or advisor to the director general but worked as an elected editor and host.
The full statement from Olivera Kovačević:
„I have been dismissed from the position of supervisor and editor of the Pesma za Evroviziju festival by the decision of the RTS Director General because, as I was informed, I disregarded his order to prevent participants from expressing their views and support for student protests at the festival. Specifically, wearing badges, showing a red hand, raising student ID cards during the live broadcast, and performing the song ‘Za milion godina’ were interpreted as political messages. It is true that as an editor, I did not want to censor anyone at the festival, and it was precisely PZE25 that showed that RTS is open to all its citizens and that artists have the right to their own opinions without any indecent or offensive behavior. I would like to remind you that the festival was organized amidst a boycott by a large number of musicians who canceled their performances in the show portion of the program. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has no jurisdiction over the national selections of participating countries in the Eurovision Song Contest, nor did it have any objections to our festival since it broadcast the final night of PZE25 on its official YouTube channel. The fact that I publicly supported the students, signed a letter from a group of employees demanding that the News Program perform its job professionally, and finally, that I sued Aleksandar Vučić for a series of falsehoods he made about me and the RTS festival are a sufficient, and apparently necessary, reason for my dismissal. I joined RTS in 2006 at the invitation of Aleksandar Tijanić, where I set up, edited, and hosted the show OKO in the News Program, and then Da Možda Ne until 2019, when the show was canceled and I was transferred to the Entertainment Program. I was selected through a competition for the chief and managing editor of the Entertainment Program, where I worked for eight years. During that time, I launched several formats such as: Luda noć, Najlepše narodne pesme, Pesma za Evroviziju, Bunt rok festival, Karavan najlepših narodnih pesama, eight New Year’s programs, as well as commemorating jubilees like 100 years since World War I, 20 years since the death of RTS workers, 60 years of television in Serbia, and the celebration of 100 years of Radio Belgrade, etc. After my mandate expired, I was not returned to the News Program but to the RTS Entertainment Program, and I was never an assistant, advisor to the director general, or anyone else at RTS.„
