By: G. B.
This afternoon, on our website, we published news about RTV allegedly canceling 15 shows, leaving its employees without pay. Of course, this refers to public RTV in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, as it sounds, even RTV Slovenia is not far from such a scenario. This is also indicated by the message about the resignation of the CEO of RTVS, Zvezdan Martić.
The news about this was published by STA at 19:25. Apparently, the reason for the resignation was a tumultuous session where Martić was reportedly directly attacked for lacking business skills, programme vision, and leadership with a personal touch. The attack allegedly came from the president of the RTV council, Goran Forbici, as well as influential members Tadej Troha and Špela Stare.
Today has been quite eventful at RTVS, although days ago they signed the so-called strike agreement, which brought a ceasefire between the journalist syndicate led by Helena Milinković and the leading nomenclature at RTV. However, some time ago, there was a rupture within the management itself when Simon Kardum resigned. The Council of the Radiotelevision Slovenia (RTVS) was supposed to decide today at an extraordinary session on the appointment of Alenka Vodončnik as a new member of the management, but she withdrew her application for the tender, and the proposal for her appointment was thus withdrawn by the CEO, Zvezdan Martić, as confirmed to STA by RTVS. The President of the RTVS Council, Goran Forbici, confirmed to STA that the session of the council will still take place. However, the Mladina website labeled Vodončnik as “Janša’s candidate”. And the reason? As one of the media political commissars, Boris Vezjak, wrote, she was said to have protected the former CEO, Andrej Grah Whatmough.
However, Martić reportedly found support from Ilinka Todorovski and Gregor Drnovšek. There are talks about the imminent return of the former CEO, Igor Kadunc, who recently finished his tenure at STA. Of course, prematurely.
Later, Martić’s resignation statement was finally published. The resignation came after numerous criticisms directed at him during today’s extraordinary session of the RTVS council. In his resignation statement, Martić wrote that it is clear after the session that he no longer has the trust of the majority of councilors, and that this is becoming an obstacle to the functioning of RTVS. “For some time now, I have been noticing discrepancies between the management and some members of the RTVS council. Although I have been performing my duties in accordance with the law, it is clear after today’s extraordinary session of the RTVS council that I no longer have the trust of the majority of councilors, and that this is becoming an obstacle to the functioning of RTVS. Since my only reason for candidacy for the position of CEO was to work for the benefit of RTVS, I cannot continue my work under these circumstances, and therefore I resign from the position of CEO,” he wrote in a statement forwarded to the RTVS council and also to STA.
Martić further wrote that the conditions at RTVS are still extremely difficult due to insufficient funding from the founder. “Nevertheless, in the last nine months, the management, directors, leaders, and everyone else at RTVS have managed to establish a situation that is much better than when the previous management left. RTVS is solvent, the programme-business plan is fully realised, social dialogue has been established, the strike of journalist syndicates has been concluded, and RTVS’s reputation in the public is rising,” Martić is convinced.
In his resignation statement, he added that achieving decent or even good results in such demanding conditions is difficult and requires many unpopular moves and measures, as well as sacrifices from many employees. “It is understandable that there is dissatisfaction, even frustrations, and it is understandable that they are directed somewhere,” he concluded.
