Under the Guise of a “Pilot Project,” Yettel Drops N1 and Nova for Some Users

Yettel says it is testing a more flexible way to sell television packages. But for some Serbian subscribers, the experiment began with two independent news channels disappearing from their screens: N1 and Nova S.

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The operator is clearly systematically shutting down N1 and Nova just to see what they can get away with.

The company describes the measure as a 12-month “pilot project” launched on August 28. It says a very small, randomly selected part of its customer base will receive combinations of news, children’s and entertainment channels under a modular system. Customers who remove N1 and Nova can pay less each month.

That explanation has not satisfied viewers who wanted to keep the channels. One EON Premium subscriber said customer service told him the channels had been shut down “for testing purposes” and “for the sake of people who don’t want to have them.” After he objected, Yettel restored them within an hour and offered to reduce his bill if he agreed to go without them.

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The channels were shut down ‘for testing purposes’ and ‘for the sake of people who don’t want to have them.’

Former lawmaker Ana Stevanovic said she received an email informing her that her channel list was being changed. She asked whether she could instead remove Pink, Informer or RTS, which she described as pro-government and state channels, while keeping her existing price. Customer service told her that was not possible.

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I called customer service and asked: if this is about the modularity and flexibility they claim to offer, can I swap out other channels instead? Can I drop Pink, Informer, or RTS and keep my price the same, but they told me that’s not an option.

Yettel answered only one of five questions sent by the newsroom, saying the participants were chosen at random. It did not explain why N1 and Nova were the only news channels identified for removal. Stevanovic said the decision left her feeling manipulated because the channels are widely viewed as benchmarks for professional journalism.

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To have someone cut off channels that are seen as benchmarks for professional journalism, without giving you any other choice, leaves a very bitter taste. It feels like you are being manipulated.