Nova24TV
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| Country | Slovenia |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Slovenia |
| Headquarters | Linhartova cesta 13 Ljubljana |
| Programming | |
| Language | Slovene |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | NovaTV24.si, d. d., Nova hiša d.o.o.[1][2] |
| History | |
| Launched | March 1, 2016 |
| Links | |
| Website | http://nova24tv.si/ |
Type of site | Politics News and opinion Tabloid |
|---|---|
| Available in | Slovene, English |
| Owner | NovaTV24.si, d. d., Nova hiša d.o.o. |
| Editor | Jože Biščak |
| URL | http://nova24tv.si |
| Launched | October 15, 2015 |
Nova24TV is a Slovenian right-wing[3] news media conglomerate operating an eponymous news television channel and online news portal.[4][5][6] Nova24TV was founded by members and supporters of the Slovenian Democratic Party.[3][7][8] The news media organisation's stated mission is to provide an alternative perspective that reflects the values of the European right.[9][10]
The current editor-in-chief of Nova24TV is Marko Puš, with Boris Tomašič serving as director.[11] Past editors-in-chief have included Uroš Urbanija,[12] Miro Petek,[13] Jože Biščak,[14] and Boris Tomašič.[15] Former directors include Aleš Hojs,[16] and Damjan Damjanovič.[17] Nova24TV generates a significant portion of its revenues through advertising for companies that are partially or majority state-owned.[18] Nova24TV had also obtained over €120.000 of various public funds by the first half of 2020.[19] Nova24TV was backed by Hungarian businessmen close to the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán,[20][21] but the Hungarian share was sold, allegedly to a member of SDS, in July 2022.[22]
Nova24TV has been described as a far-right news organisation.[23][24] In August 2022, Marko Milosavljević, Chair of Journalism at the Faculty of Social Sciences in Ljubljana, opined that Nova24TV was not a true media but a party newsletter and the journalists working there were not true journalists but party propaganda workers.[25] In December 2022, Nova24TV was characterised as "one of the major sources of disinformation in Slovenia" by the fact-checking portal Oštro.[26]
According to its own reporting from 2019, Nova24TV was the 5th most frequently visited website in Slovenia.[27] Nova24TV articles were - according to reporting from 2021 - by far the most frequently shared content on Twitter of any Slovenian news media website. On the other hand, the articles were shared by a relatively small number of users leading to suspicions that Nova24TV's content was being promoted by a group of highly active astroturfed fake accounts.[28][29]
History
Plans to create a media company were first made public by Slovenian Democratic Party leader and former prime minister Janez Janša at a meeting of senior party members in mid-2015.[30][5] The media company was established on 7 Jul 2015, after ensuring sufficient capital.[9] Initial investments were made by individuals committed to the project (mostly SDS members and individuals associated with the party). Additional funding was to be obtained by sales of shares.[8]
The launch of the media company was fraught with issues. Broadcasting of the Nova24TV television channel was initially scheduled to commence in December 2015, but the launch was subsequently postponed several times.[31][32][33][34] The media company is also allegedly plagued by internal conflicts and lacks skilled technicians and other staff, which has led to broadcasting issues.[35][36][37] The company was also met with difficulties when attempting to launch its radio station.[4]
In August 2020, the contents of Nova24TV's web server were published on the internet by Anonymous. Among the data were the e-mail addresses and IP addresses of Nova24TV website commenters (constituting a possible violation of personal data privacy laws by Nova24TV), and a list of site administrators along with their e-mails and hashed passwords. Nova24TV responded that no server breach had occurred, that Anonymous obtained an old website archival copy, and that the released data were doctored. Nova24TV labelled the released data as "merely trash".[38]
In March 2021, Nova24TV invited Slovenian elementary schools and high schools to participate in a Slovene history knowledge competition which Nova24TV was organising in collaboration with the Association for the Values of Slovenian Independence (the latter organisation - like Nova24TV itself - is also associated with SDS). The invitation - which was addressed to school principals - was signed by an SDS MP, interior minister Aleš Hojs, and Nova24TV director Tomašič. The competition is also intended to promote patriotism. The three top ranking participants would receive cash rewards, with finishing in first place also being awarded a trip to the European Parliament where they would meet with SDS MEP and former Slovene education minister Milan Zver. A book edited by serving PM Janez Janša and published by an SDS-affiliated publishing company was listed as supplemental study material for the competition.[39]
Content
Nova24TV offers coverage and content with an explicit right-wing perspective. Coverage of economic issues is often critical of the welfare state, state ownership of enterprises, the public sector and public healthcare, and advocates free-market capitalism.[citation needed] Anti-immigration[3] and anti-Islamic content is common. Coverage of international politics is often favourable to right-wing politicians, such as Donald Trump and Viktor Orbán,[citation needed] the latter having granted Nova24TV an exclusive interview.[40][41][3] Many news articles regarding international issues are based on articles originally published by Breitbart News, the Daily Mail, The Daily Caller, Bild, and other right-wing news media organisations.[citation needed] Fox News served as an inspiration and blueprint for the creation of Nova24TV.[42][43][44] Nova24TV has aired advertisements for Generation Identity during its broadcasts.[45]
Financing
Nova24TV began to struggle to procure sufficient funding for its operations shortly after its inception. The startup capital obtained by the sale of shares to individual investors was assumed to be sufficient for two years of continuous operations, however, by late summer of 2016 (less than a year since the commencement of operations), the company was in need of additional funds. Company chairman Aleš Hojs stated that instead of seeking funding from existing shareholders, the company will seek to attract a strategic partner, preferably a European company with expertise in managing media. Hojs also stated that they will remain committed to the rule that no single shareholder can own more than 20% of stock in the company.[46] Miro Petek, then Nova24TV's editor-in-chief, allegedly met with Italian media executives associated with former Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, to seek financial support. When asked to comment, Petek declined to answer.[35]
Restructuring the Nova24TV television broadcaster in a way that would allow easier access to public financing was also considered (with the possibility of government co-financing of up to 50% of project costs), however, such a move would deprive shareholders of returns on investment as the TV broadcaster would need to become a non-profit entity.[47]
An article published by Svet24 claimed that by early 2017, though initially offered decent wages, many employees and contributors worked for minimum wages or even volunteered to work without pay. Efforts to establish a radio station were also soon abandoned; the radio had briefly broadcast online, but attracted few listeners.[36]
Financing from Hungarian companies
The financial woes of Nova24TV were partially alleviated after three Hungarian media companies (all with close ties to the Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán and his party) bailed out Nova24TV to the amount of €800,000,[3][48] and purchased, in total, 45.44% of the company's shares. The owners of nearly half of NovaTV24.si shares were, however, still undisclosed.[40] In April 2018, Hungarian investors again bailed out Nova24TV's holding companies with some €800,000 in additional capital, possibly with the aim of indirectly and surreptitiously contributing funds for SDS's electoral efforts.[49] The ownership share of Hungary-based companies in Nova24TV eventually rose to nearly 88%.[50]
In a series of investigative media reports published in early 2020, it was revealed that Hungarian businesses operated by people close to Hungarian PM Orbán transferred at least €4M to or through Slovenia since August 2018, of which €1.5M was used to finance Nova24TV (adding up to €3,5M in total over the lifetime of the media company) while the rest was then funneled into North Macedonia (either €2,5M or over €3,2M in total). The funds were transferred through Great Britain, and some of the money may have originated from Russian investments in Hungary, and was used to finance similar media operations of political allies of the Hungarian government in North Macedonia. The money was transferred between countries and companies under the cover of questionable advertising contracts.[51][52][53] A money laundering investigation and parliamentary session launched in Slovenia to look into the revelations.[54][55] An investigation into potential Hungarian money laundering based on information obtained by Slovene police was already launched by Macedonian authorities in 2018.[55][53]
Advertising revenues
Nova24TV receives a significant portion of its income from advertising revenues (mostly by publishing ads for Telekom Slovenije, Petrol, Merkator, Slovenske železnice and Telemach). Most companies advertising with Nova24TV are state-owned or are to a large degree co-owned by the state.[18]
Nova24TV has also received advertising revenues from an Austrian construction company Belfry that mostly operates in Hungary. The company did not conduct any business operations in Slovenia while advertising in Nova24TV. The owners of the company had ties with Hungarian PM Orbán.[56]
Public funds
In 2019, Nova24TV received €21,120 in public funds through a Ministry of Culture grant.[57][58] According to data from the first half of 2020, Nova24TV had received a sum total of over €120.000 of various public funds. Among the largest contributors/customers were Slovenske železnice (some €37.000), the Ministry of Culture (some €21.000), Grosuplje municipality (some €13.000), the Public Agency for Transit Safety (some €12.000) and RTV Slovenija (some €10.000).[19]