United Group has formally launched Adria News Network (ANN) under Adria News S.à r.l., putting its news operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia into a dedicated governance structure designed to strengthen editorial independence.
Last September, United was forced to reject “false and misleading claims” that it was interfering in the editorial independence of its N1 and Nova TV channels in Serbia.
ANN brings together 14 television, print and digital news brands, including N1, Nova S, Vijesti and Danas. The group says the outlets collectively employ more than 1,000 journalists and staff and serve a combined audience of over 16 million people.
The framework creates an independent board with oversight of the news outlets, with no executives or shareholder representatives from United Group. ANN also introduces defined editorial leadership and safeguards for newsroom decision-making, alongside an independent Editorial Council that will provide external accountability and guidance on editorial standards, ethics and compliance.
The ANN board is chaired by Rani R. Raad, whose previous roles include President of CNN Commercial Worldwide, CEO of International Media Investments (IMI) and President and Operating Partner of RedBird IMI. Other board members include Nigel Baker, a British media executive who chairs the Sky News Board, and Brent Sadler, an award-winning journalist and former Senior International Correspondent for CNN. Additional board members are Thomas Probst, Niall Martin and Kirenga Mbonampeka.
Brent Sadler has also been appointed Chief News Executive, responsible for newsroom leadership and overseeing editorial standards as defined by the Editorial Council, operating under governance procedures set by the board. The Editorial Council’s first formal act will be to develop and adopt an Editorial Charter.
United Group previously said the new reporting lines under ANN are intended to insulate newsrooms from group management, shareholder and external influence, while providing stability and transparency for the business. BC Partners, United Group’s majority shareholder, has said it supports the changes.
