By: Nova24tv.si
The Ministry of Culture has announced its regular annual public project call for co-financing media content programmes in 2025. The approximate total value of all available funds is €4.1 million. Let us recall, however, that last year’s big winner of the call was a loyal companion of the political left, Martin Odlazek, who received more than €700,000 from the state.
The official name of the call is “Regular Annual Public Project Call for Co-Financing Media Content Programmes in 2025.” Among last year’s winners, we find familiar taxpayer-funded beneficiaries such as Delo and Mladina, as well as others like Primož Cirman with Necenzurirano and others. Will these recipients be “rewarded” again?
The Ministry stated that the purpose of the call is to “support media in creating and disseminating media content that is important for fulfilling the public interest in the field of media, in accordance with the Media Act.” However, judging by last year’s winners, their criteria seem quite one-sided, focusing primarily on a “pro-government” orientation.
Last year, 12 of Odlazek’s media outlets received a total of €729,312, or nearly a quarter (24.5%) of all funds, with the largest share going to his radio stations. The funds were distributed among 36 print media outlets and portals and 33 radio and TV stations. Meanwhile, 34 applicants were rejected. The highest amount of taxpayer money, €95,232, went to Radio Koroška. Over €70,000 was allocated to Radio Ptuj, Radio Triglav, Radio Kranj, Radio Robin from Nova Gorica, NT&RC from Celje, and Radio Krka from Novo Mesto. Among print media, Večer received the most funding, €40,000, which was also the maximum allowed by the call. Additional funds were allocated to Odlazek’s Primorske novice, Media Partner Agency, and media outlets registered at Slovenska ulica 40 in Murska Sobota, although the names of these media outlets were simply omitted from the results report.
Odlazek’s media outlets received taxpayer money primarily for focusing on regional content, through which they heavily and extensively promote the ruling leftist government, which rewards them handsomely for this. The Ministry of Culture also allocated funds to the company Media Partner Agency, a press agency that runs the government-friendly and Gibanje Svoboda-aligned portal Necenzurirano. The portal’s editor-in-chief, Primož Cirman, is the husband of Petra Cirman Bezjak, director of the Government Communication Office.
Additionally, taxpayer funds were allocated to Radio Robin from Nova Gorica, owned by Martin Odlazek. The radio is managed by Martina Arčon, the wife of Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Slovenians Abroad, and Freedom Movement Deputy President Matej Arčon. Non-refundable funds also went to Dnevnik, owned by tycoon Bojan Petan, and Delo, owned by tycoon Stojan Petrič. The portal Pod črto, directly linked to Lenart J. Kučić, a Ministry of Culture official and media advisor in Minister Asta Vrečko’s office, received over €34,000. Private individuals were also “rewarded,” such as Maja Čakarić, a sole proprietor working for the portal Oštro, led by Anuška Delić Zavrl, who oversees Facebook and Instagram censorship.
This year’s public call consists of two areas. Area A covers the co-financing of media content for print media, radio, and television programmes, as well as online media, with an estimated €1.1 million available. Area B, with an estimated €3 million available, covers co-financing content for radio and television programmes with local, regional, student, or non-profit status.
Individual projects may be co-financed from the state budget for up to 50% of all eligible costs or up to €100,000 in Area A and €120,000 in Area B. Projects may also receive funding from other public sources, but total public funding cannot exceed 50% of all eligible costs. This is outlined in the call published today. The application deadline is January 15th at 11:59 PM, the Ministry announced.