For Whom Is “24 Minutes” Too Much?

N1 Serbia and Forbes Serbia have declared their full support for Zoran Kesić and the colleagues who produce “24 Minutes,” reacting with “great disappointment and concern” to news that the program will no longer air on TV Nova.

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We provide full support to Zoran Kesić and all the colleagues who work on the show “24 Minutes.”

The statement rejects the explanation that a program known as one of the station’s signature shows, with a large audience and a place among the most-watched programs, could be judged to have only “marginal” commercial performance. The issue, it says, cannot be reduced to ratings, costs and balance sheets.

In a country where room for free speech is becoming narrower, “24 Minutes” represents far more than a television program, according to the statement. It describes the show as a space for freedom, satire and criticism, where its team raises questions that cannot be heard on many other television channels. In an increasingly dark media environment, it calls Kesić and his colleagues one of the few lights helping citizens see the reality around them more clearly.

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In a country where the space for free speech is becoming narrower, “24 Minutes” is much more than a television show.

The statement says the value of such a program cannot be measured only through income and expenditure tables. It also stresses the show’s support for N1 journalists when they faced attacks, insults and harassment, saying N1 journalists now stand with the “24 Minutes” team as its work is judged in financial terms while its wider social importance is ignored. It ends by emphasizing solidarity among journalists as space for free, critical and courageous voices continues to shrink.

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Light may have its price. But it is much more expensive when it goes out.