Closure of Al Jazeera Balkans increasingly likely: Management, editorial policy, controversial confirmations in focus...

(Patria) - Over the last ten days, information about the possible closure of the regional television Al Jazeera Balkans has been spreading louder in Sarajevo media circles, and now these claims are gaining more concrete outlines. As Patria has learned, a wider collegium was held this morning at the premises of this television station, where staff were allegedly officially informed – Al Jazeera Balkans is closing.

Although there is no written confirmation yet, a letter from the owners in Qatar, as we unofficially learn, is expected on Saturday, July 12.

This decision came after salaries were previously increased and technical equipment was renewed, making the surprise even greater, but perhaps only for those who are not informed.

As the main reason for the closure, sources close to the editorial office cite serious objections from the Qatari owners regarding the management of this media network under the leadership of General Director Tarik Đođić.

According to information that has reached the public, they were particularly bothered by the issuance of a business recommendation to the company Mindset, connected with Gordana Memija, the godmother of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Elmedina Konakovića. Based on this confirmation, issued on November 14, 2024, Mindset claimed that in May of the same year, it worked for Al Jazeera Balkans on filming studio announcements and producing the TV series AJB Start – even though the company formally and legally exists only since June. The signature on the document, according to available data, was personally affixed by Tarik Đođić.

This controversy led to the annulment of the tender and directly affected the cancellation of the Summit of Western Balkan and EU Leaders in Sarajevo, which caused a diplomatic scandal and further eroded the owners' trust.

Dalija Hasanbegović-Konaković, the wife of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who has been working as a presenter on this television for years, is also invariably mentioned in the whole story.

In addition to financial and management reasons, the dissatisfaction of the Qatari owners with the editorial policy is also significant, and according to the portal Istraga, objections are particularly mentioned regarding the work of correspondent from the USA, Ivica Puljić, as well as other editorial decisions.

This television was supposed to build its own facility in Sarajevo, but due to complicated procedures for obtaining permits, this project has been on hold for a decade.

Such moves are not unusual for Al Jazeera, which has already made quick and radical cuts in the past – the most famous example is the closure of Al Jazeera America, which was shut down after three years of existence due to business and political challenges.

Let us recall that Al Jazeera Balkans began broadcasting in November 2011 and became the first channel of the Al Jazeera Media Network to produce programming in a language other than Arabic or English. The regional channel broadcast news and shows from Sarajevo, but also from regional centers in Zagreb, Belgrade, Skopje, and Podgorica, as well as through correspondents from Pristina, Niš, Banja Luka, Washington, London, and Brussels.

For now, there is no official confirmation from Al Jazeera Balkans regarding the information that has leaked to the public.