Proud of first 5 years - birthday of Kurir television

The Kurir brand represents a leading media platform in Serbia, with its four extensions – the daily newspaper, the web portal, television and social media.
The youngest member of this media family is Kurir Television. Five years ago, on 28 June 2020, at 16.00, a presenter addressed viewers for the first time from the studio of the programme “Pulse of Serbia”, and at that moment life was breathed into it – into the channel which today celebrates its fifth birthday and which, as it is now clear, will celebrate many, many more birthdays, and of which we are all proud – Kurir Television!

From its founding to the present day it has followed a solely upward trend, developing by enhancing both its content and its human resources. This is a television channel that has set standards from the outset, as it was launched as part of the first integrated media brand.

The programme of our television, generalist in nature, is based primarily on news and entertainment content, which viewers, by showing their trust and loyalty, have recognised as their choice. If we take into account that every working day Kurir Television produces more than ten hours of original in-house programming, and that external productions make a further six hours of premiere programming weekly, it is clear that it stands out for the variety of its content, offering the audience the highest-quality news, entertainment and family programming, along with carefully selected film and TV series content.
We always provide our viewers with timely and accurate information, exclusive stories, intriguing topics and conversations with relevant interlocutors. All the most important news from at home and from the international scene, whether politics, economy, social issues, sport or art, viewers can watch in our news output (“Quick News”, “Midday News”, “Central News”, “Evening News”). There are also recognisable daily current-affairs shows that follow current events and social phenomena: “The Newsroom”, “Pulse of Serbia”, “Neither Five nor Six”, “Boiling Point”, “Crime Chronicle”, and the weekly programmes “Untold”, as well as “Red Card” with Svetislav Basara.

Besides news content, we also offer a wide range of programmes dedicated to entertainment, cookery and lifestyles, such as “Stars Special”, “Stars”, “Mothers and Daughters-in-Law”, “Forget the Worry”, “300 Wonders”, “With Žika Around Serbia” and “Auto TV”.
An important part of Kurir Television’s schedule from day one is its rich film and TV series content. Kurir Television continues to nurture variety in its offer, so viewers can still expect favourite titles in their familiar slots: “Series at 3” at 15.00, “Family Series” at 20.50, “TV Series We Loved” at 22.00 and “Crime Series” at 23.10.

TV FACES WHO BRING THE PROGRAMME TO VIEWERS

Those who wake you up, who are with you throughout the day, on weekdays and at weekends, and who wish you good night at the end of the day are the presenters of Kurir Television. From the beginning, Kurir TV has given a chance to young people who, in such an environment, advance quickly and become excellent presenters and authors of their own programmes.

Our television produces more than ten hours of original in-house programming every working day, and external productions make a further six-plus hours of premiere programming weekly for it.

FIVE YEARS OF INNOVATION AND SUCCESS – THE DIRECTORS AND EDITORS OF KURIR TELEVISION
Kurir is the first media platform in Serbia with four extensions – the print newspaper, the web portal, television and social media. All of them are conscientiously, devotedly and professionally managed by two key Kurir figures, Aleksandar Đondović and Branislava Majdarević.

Aleksandar Đondović, News Director

“Our television is celebrating its fifth birthday, and Kurir as a brand its 22 years of existence. We are the first media company in Serbia, and beyond, which, in addition to its existing daily newspaper and web portal, started a television channel and by so doing created a unique integrated newsroom with more than 200 media professionals. Since launching the television channel, we have carried out a comprehensive transformation, and Kurir is today a powerful media platform, while our brand remains synonymous with exclusivity, speed and provocation. Kurir is relevant today, and that is the product of everything we have done in the last few years.”

Branislava Majdarević, Executive News Director

“We have positioned ourselves as the leading media platform in Serbia, the fastest and the best at providing information. If we compare that platform to a complex and brilliant machine, the task of all of us is to make sure we maintain its unimpeded operation, while finely tuning it through further professionalisation and the enhancement of ethical standards, greater openness towards citizens, and through upgrading with specialist topics such as business, health, cookery and family-related matters.

“Kurir does not compete with others, we do not compare our results with others’ achievements, circulations and shares; we only beat ourselves every day. We are celebrating the fifth birthday of our television channel; five years of success are behind us, but I am convinced the real successes are yet to come.”
At the head of the television channel itself is Nataša Ranitović, who took part in creating the channel and has managed it the whole time, while setting new standards in the media world and giving viewers only the best. The team she leads has been carefully selected and firmly established.

Nataša Ranitović, Director of Operations of Kurir Television, reveals how top results are achieved in the media sector.

“From the very beginning we knew we didn’t want to create a television channel that resembled others. That’s why we designed every segment by listening to the audience and the market. Our team is aware how important it is for us to be relevant, high-quality in production and useful in content.
“To set standards means having the courage not to follow but to lead, and that is only possible if you believe in what you are doing and have a team that shares the same passion and the same vision. At Kurir Television this was particularly demanding and responsible, because Kurir was already a strong brand, but it was also a relief to build something new such strong foundations. The results show that we’ve done an excellent job!”

The programming of any television channel is that which is most exposed to those who are the most important in the entire story – the viewers themselves. The people entrusted with managing this segment are, above all, Viktorija Jevtić, Director of Programmes, and Ivan Kleut, Director of External Productions. Alongside them are the editors-in-chief of specific segments of the schedule: Zoran Mihajlović, Editor-in-Chief of the News Programme; Snežana Petrović, Editor-in-Chief of the morning programme “The Newsroom”; Slađana Slavković Jovanović, Editor-in-Chief of “Pulse of Serbia” and “Pulse of Serbia: The Weekend Edition”; as well as Goran Jovanović, Editor-in-Chief of Kurir’s integrated entertainment newsroom; together with all the other editors: Nikola Miloradović, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the News Programme, Goran Đurković, Jasmina Jončić, Lidija Stojković, Kristina Vasković, Aleksandra Arsović, Ksenija Stojiljković, Jelena Barac, Milica Vojtek, Nikica Lopičić, Maja Ješić, Srđan Milovanović, Nevena Topličić and Vanja Camović.

Editors of Kurir Television

Their opinion and degree of satisfaction with the results achieved so far are the most authoritative at this moment! For our audience, they set out their views on the work done so far, as well as their plans for the future:

Viktorija Jevtić, Director of Programmes

“Kurir Television today marks five years of existence, but for us this is not just a number – it is five years of dedicated work, team energy and trust, which we build daily with our audience. From the very beginning, we have been guided by the idea that content must have meaning, rhythm and soul – that it should inform, inspire and set an example. This job does not accept routine – it requires constant improvement, reflection and quick adaptation, but that is exactly where its charm lies. As part of the WMG system, we have the opportunity to work in an environment that encourages innovation and provides the strength to push boundaries. We strive to set programming standards – not only in production but also in the messages we send. Kurir Television is a decent, family-oriented channel which can be watched by all generations. Our focus is on content that connects and respects every viewer. We invest in new formats, those which will not only be watched but also remembered. We also carefully select drama programming – films and TV series which the audience eagerly follows for their powerful stories and particular emotional authenticity.

We do not want to be a passing trend, but a reliable choice for the audience – thanks to the trust we build through quality, consistency and content that remains with viewers even when the screen goes dark.”

Ivan Kleut, Director of External Productions:

“Five years of Kurir Television? It feels as if it was only yesterday that I was presenting the schedule and all the programme content. In the meantime, we have created shows, ideas, silliness, and emotions that have entered people’s homes – and their hearts. To be part of this story from the very first day and the very first frame, which went out on air on 28 June 2020, until today, for me is more than a job – it is my little television novel. I did not even have a sneaking feeling that I would return to the studio and in front of the cameras, in the house format ‘Stars Special’. But that too happened. And you know what? The most fun is yet to come!”

Zoran Mihajlović, Editor-in-Chief of the News Programme

“In the past five years we have managed to respond to all the challenges in our profession and, in the demanding media market, to win over an audience that has recognised our quality. We have reported on all the important events in the country, the region and the world. From Washington to Moscow, from Brussels to Tokyo. Our team consists of young journalists, reporters and presenters, full of enthusiasm and eager to progress professionally by learning from older colleagues and editors. In the months and years to come we will continue to inform the public objectively and in a timely manner about all the most important socio-political events.”

Snežana Petrović, Editor-in-Chief of the Morning Programme

“The morning show ‘The Newsroom’ has been recognisable from the very beginning for its different approach and concept. In addition to striving to include segments in the show that make a qualitative difference compared with existing morning programmes, our approach to the preparation of television features or reports is often different. We follow global trends in journalism and strive to apply the best methodologies here too, adapting them to our viewers. We have managed to reach every corner of the planet, dealing with current social topics both from the studio itself and by having our colleagues and correspondents around the world join us live.

“What ‘The Newsroom’ insists upon are human stories. In other words, the ‘ordinary’ person must be in focus – their words, voice, problem, story must be heard. And our viewers recognised that long ago, which is why their number, to our great satisfaction, grows day by day.”

Slađana Slavković Jovanović, Editor-in-Chief of “Pulse of Serbia” and “Pulse of Serbia: The Weekend Edition”

“In the past five years we have earned the trust of viewers, and in the coming decades we want to justify and double it. ‘Pulse of Serbia’ is the programme with which Kurir Television began broadcasting, which placed an additional responsibility on us. The feedback we receive from viewers says that we have borne that burden successfully. We are not going to make promises, but we will deliver! We will continue to take the pulse of Serbia!”

Goran Jovanović, Editor-in-Chief of the Integrated Entertainment Newsroom at Kurir

“In the past five years the Entertainment Newsroom has gone through great changes, with many challenges which we have successfully overcome behind us. In that respect, I am proud of the whole team, of the way they have carried out every task. We introduced new, notable television formats. Some members of the team, whom the public previously knew only by name, as journalists, have become TV faces, and there we have made huge strides. We decided to engage people from within our own ranks, people with potential. We did not want to bring in already known faces, but to create new ones from young people to whom we could give a chance. And that was definitely the right decision.

“Another thing, perhaps the key one, which was done for the first time at Kurir, was the thematic integration of the newsroom – we first created the integrated entertainment newsroom. That means that everyone is trained and competent to work in all the extensions of our brand – on the web portal, in print, on social media, as well as on the television channel. I am grateful to everyone for that, above all to the people in the company who recognised the importance of such a step and had full confidence in entrusting us with carrying it out, then to the editors-in-chief, and finally to everyone who worked on it and executed it fantastically – the members of the newsroom and the journalists.”

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF KURIR TELEVISION PRODUCTION

Special credit belongs to those who produce the programming, the large team of people led by two ladies. Our goal is ‘best only’ for our audience, and this team ensures that everything is delivered to the highest standards.

Mirjana Vučković, Director of Production

“We are proud of the success we achieve by positioning Kurir TV at the very top of viewership ratings in our market and maintaining a high level of these ratings throughout the year, season after season and year after year, producing a large number of hours of programming in different TV genres: from reality shows to talent formats, through entertainment shows, news programmes, magazine shows, quizzes to travelogues.

“In the production of the channel’s daily programming, lasting at least 12 hours of TV content daily from four television studios, a large number of TV professionals participate, producing more than five thousand shows annually. We will continue to contribute diligently to the television of the future – an integrated medium, with an innovative technological approach and high standards of visualisation.”

Marija Leković – Technical Director

“Five years ago Kurir TV began its journey with the vision of redefining the way in which television content is produced and distributed. Today we proudly look back on everything we have achieved as a team and as an organisation that sets standards not only in Serbia but also in the region.
“From the outset, Kurir TV was a pioneer in the application of cutting-edge technologies. As the first television channel in Serbia and the region to fully implement the NDI standard for video signal transmission over a network, we laid the foundations for a new era in television production. In addition, the use of the Dante protocol for audio signal enabled our production to achieve unparallelled flexibility and efficiency.

“We possess equipment that supports HD and 4K production, including studio and field cameras, video and audio mixers, and the most modern servers for storing and broadcasting material. Investments in VizRT Artist software for the creation of virtual and augmented reality, as well as the Viz Multiplay system for managing video walls, enabled us to enrich our viewers’ experience and present content in an innovative way.
“We are extremely proud of our team, which consists of top professionals. Their knowledge, dedication and innovativeness have enabled us to achieve everything we envisaged. As a company, we value cooperation and continuous improvement, believing that every achievement is the result of collective effort and enthusiasm.

“Although we look back on the past five years with great pride, our vision is directed towards the future. We will continue to invest in new technologies, expand our capacities and develop new formats which will bring our viewers an even richer and more diverse programming.

“Thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey – our employees, partners and, of course, our viewers. Together we continue to make history.”
We are proud of the past five years! Every beginning is the hardest and represents a great challenge. Thanks to the experts who make up our team – those who design and shape the programming, those who technically realise it, and those who present it to the viewers – very quickly the pride of our company, Kurir Television, was laid on firm and stable foundations, side by side with the most-watched TV channels, managing, at the same time, to dominate completely in certain segments of the television schedule.

A big thank you to every individual member of our team, and the greatest thanks to our dear viewers, whose numbers grow every day! You are our motivation and our driving force to continue creating programming of exceptional quality and diversity!

Thank you to all our viewers!