REM and RTV on new audience habits: Survey on viewer needs presented

In cooperation with Radio-Television of Vojvodina (RTV), representatives of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) held a presentation for the editorial board of the provincial public service broadcaster and presented the results of the latest survey titled Report on the Needs of Media Service Users in Serbia. The meeting was an opportunity for the professional media community to get more closely acquainted with the habits and expectations of the audience in a dynamic media environment.

Editors and journalists of the provincial public service broadcaster showed particular interest in the findings related to citizens' preferences regarding programme content. During the discussion, it was highlighted that citizens are mostly interested in film, series, music, and entertainment programmes, but that there is still a significant need for quality news and current affairs and documentary content.

The meeting participants jointly agreed with the key conclusions of the study, especially those pointing to accelerated digitalisation because the survey confirms that the internet has become a basic need in households, which significantly changes the way the audience accesses media and information. The survey also shows that a generational and educational gap exists among citizens due to a deeply rooted difference in the way they get informed, as younger and more educated users prefer digital platforms, social networks, and personalised experiences, while the older population remains faithful to traditional television formats.

During the presentation, REM representatives emphasised that these data should serve as a roadmap for media service providers to improve the quality and diversity of programmes, in order to respond adequately to the specific needs of different groups of citizens in Serbia.
This survey was conducted as part of the activities implemented within the project Protecting Freedom of Expression and of the Media in Serbia (PROFREX), which is part of the joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe titled Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2023-2026.