N1 Television Serbia explained on Wednesday that they had decided to replace its regular broadcast on Tuesday with a black screen and a cryptic message reading "Darkness in Serbia without free media" for 24 hours "to show what the media scene would be like without N1 and Nova S," its sister channel also owned by United Group.

“Dear N1 viewers, you were given an opportunity over the past 24 hours (Tuesday, 6 December, 2022) to see what the media landscape in Serbia would be like without free media. We decided to take this drastic step to show the darkness that could prevail without N1 and Nova S,” an unsigned statement published by N1 said on Wednesday.

“We wanted to create a realistic image of what reporting would be like if the Serbian public was given just one version of events, just one – the ruling view, just one opinion, and news without any criticism. This was also done to draw attention to the years of pressure we have endured, to attempts to limit our viewership and obstruct our financing and business operations,” the unsigned statement said.

On Tuesday, during the all-day blackout, N1 did not offer any explanation for their move on their website or social media channels.

“The latest in the series of steps taken in Serbia to pressure the free media are the activities of the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM), which has failed to decide on awarding the fifth national broadcasting license, even though every deadline has passed. Several months ago, N1 applied for a national license (without getting it) and that outcome showed that the REM does not care about media pluralism or improving the media landscape. We see the same situation unfolding now which is why N1 is expressing solidarity with their colleagues at Nova S, who have applied for the fifth broadcast license,” the unsigned statement said.

“We believe that it’s time for the wider public to ask themselves whether reporting in Serbia is objective and unbiased, whether everyone has a choice (what to consume), and why propaganda is being imposed as the only model of providing information? Why is it possible that every ethical and professional rule can be broken in Serbia, hate speech promoted, and red lines crossed in terms of content broadcast on TV… N1 has spent the past 8 years trying to abide by the basic postulates of journalism and provide information in the interest of the public, every day. Your reactions have shown us that our efforts were not in vain,” the statement said.

“Thank you for your trust. We will try to justify it,” the statement concluded.