Urbanija

Ljubljana – Uroš Urbanija, the director of the TV arm of RTV Slovenija, has decided to cancel the subscription for Mladina over an editorial that criticises staffing at the public broadcaster. The editor-in-chief of Mladina retorted that by attacking the weekly, Urbanija was trying to cover up what was going on at TV Slovenija.

Ljubljana – Prime Minister Robert Golob has indicated that Dragan Barbutovski is being replaced as director of the Government Communication Office because he lacks organisational and managerial skills to run an office that the government would want to get help from in the war on hate speech.

Ljubljana – The government appointed journalist Petra Bezjak Cirman acting director of the Government Communications Office (UKOM) at a correspondence session on Thursday. A public call for applications for a full-fledged boss will be issued in two months, Prime Minister Rober Golob has said.

Ljubljana – Uroš Urbanija, who served as the head of the Government Communication Office (UKOM) under the previous government, will be appointed director of TV Slovenija by RTV Slovenija general director Andrej Grah Whatmough on Monday, RTV Slovenija said in a press release on Friday.

Ljubljana – The Legal Network for the Protection of Democracy has provided free legal aid to more than 1,200 people since it was established a year ago. The legal advocacy NGO has also been active when it comes to legislative amendments and appeals, the organisation said.

Ljubljana – Igor Kadunc, the director of the Slovenian Press Agency, and Uroš Urbanija, the head of the Government Communication Office (UKOM), signed on Tuesday a contract on financing the STA’s public service in 2022. The deal maintains a system for the calculation of the relevant fee that is based on the actual amount of content the STA produces.

Brussels – The European Commission said on Tuesday it would keep monitoring closely the situation of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) following the signing of the contract on the STA public service for the last two months of the year. The Slovenian authorities must ensure that the independence of the agency is fully preserved, it added.

Ljubljana – The Slovenian Press Agency (STA) and Government Communication Office (UKOM) agreed to resume talks aimed at signing the annual agreement to fund the STA public service as the two directors were hosted by President Borut Pahor for a meeting at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday.

Ljubljana – President Borut Pahor will organise a meeting between the directors of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) and the Government Communication Office (UKOM) on Tuesday in a bid to find a solution to “issues that resulted in suspension of financing of the STA public service”.

Ljubljana – The government has asked its communication office to transfer a EUR 845,000 advance to the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) for the expected expenses related to the performance of public service once the STA provides UKOM with access into business documentation for the last ten years and if a contract on public service is signed.