Utisak nedelje (; ) is a long-running Serbian political talk show hosted by Olja Bećković that airs live on TV channel Nova S.
Airing live Sundays at 9pm and conceptualized as recap of the preceding week's events, the show mostly covers political topics with a panel of typically three guests. Depending on the topic covered in a given week, number of guests goes up to five or down to a single guest.
Starting out on Studio B, a regional broadcaster for the city of Belgrade and its outlying area, in 1991 during the beginning stages of the dissolution of SFR Yugoslavia, Utisak nedelje bore witness to many of the geopolitical events affecting the area in the following decade, gaining high viewership and loyal following. Since 1997, its production has been handled by "PG Mreža", a production company headed by Zoran Ostojić and Lila Radonjić. In 2002, the show switched to RTV B92, a national broadcast TV channel, where it aired until 2014 when it was politically removed. In 2019, the show returned to TV channels, airing on Nova S.
History
1991–1993 Utisak Nedelje was launched in October 1991 on Belgrade’s then-independent NTV Studio B. From the start it was conceived as a weekly Sunday night political talk show hosted by Olja Bećković, aimed at reviewing current political events and hosting open debates with public figures. According to the jury of Serbia’s prestigious Jug Grizelj journalism prize, the show “began airing in 1991… in the worst of times”.
During this period, the programme was produced within Studio B’s news department. Bećković served as editor and host, becoming known for her direct questioning style. The show aired once a week and typically featured two to four guests. Topics reflected major developments in Serbia and the former Yugoslavia, including the breakup of Yugoslavia, wars in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, United Nations sanctions, hyperinflation, domestic political conflicts, and media freedom.
Notable episodes included discussions on economic reforms and the emergence of private banking in Serbia in 1991, as well as a broadcast on 11 April 1993 addressing the concept of “patriotic journalism” during wartime. Guests during this period included representatives of both the ruling Socialist Party and opposition parties such as the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO), making the programme one of the few forums in which opposing political viewpoints were presented in direct debate.
The show operated during a period of increasing media control under the government of Slobodan Milošević. Throughout 1991–1993, Studio B faced political pressure and internal restructuring. In late 1993, after changes in station management and disputes over editorial policy, Bećković left the station. Her departure on 5 October 1993 effectively ended the original run of Utisak Nedelje on Studio B. The programme did not return to air until several years later.
1997 After being removed from the air in 1993, Utisak nedelje returned in early 1997 on TV Studio B following the opposition coalition Zajedno’s victory in the 1996 local elections in Belgrade. The program was again hosted by Olja Bećković.
The program retained its established format this time featuring three to five guests debating the most significant political events of the week.
Topics during the 1997 run reflected the ongoing political crisis in Serbia, including the aftermath of the 1996–1997 electoral protests, disputes within the opposition, media freedom, the status of Republika Srpska, and rising tensions in Kosovo. Guests included leading political figures, journalists, intellectuals, and public personalities. Among those appearing were Vojislav Šešelj, Aleksandar Tijanić, Milan St. Protić, and Bora Đorđević.
By late 1997, following the collapse of the opposition coalition in Belgrade, Studio B’s management was replaced. The station returned to political control aligned with the ruling authorities, and Utisak nedelje was removed from the schedule. The programme again did not return to air until several years later.
2013–14 season What would turn out to be Utisak nedelje'''s last season on-air began on 2 September 2013 with a single guest — Serbian prime minister Ivica Dačić.
Two months later on 12 November first deputy prime minister Aleksandar Vučić, rumoured to be the biggest political authority in Serbia ever since the May 2012 elections, came on for the very first time as a single guest. That particular show featured another first; instead of its usual Sunday evening timeslot, it aired live on a Tuesday due to B92's live coverage the previous two days of Novak Djokovic's participation at the ATP World Tour Finals in London. The topics of conversation varied from possible SNS candidates for the new mayor of Belgrade after the SNS-engineered ousting of DS president Dragan Đilas from the mayoral post, Minister of Energy Zorana Mihajlović's perceived obstruction of the South Stream natural gas pipeline project, to the government's proclaimed tough stance on tycoons as exemplified through the prosecution of Miroslav Mišković. Things got testy at times with Vučić losing his cool at several Bećković's remarks, at one point even accusing her of spending 90% of her last 55 shows on smearing him via suggestions he's developing a dictatorship and fostering his own personality cult.
January 2014 guest appearance by Aleksandar Vučić First deputy PM Vučić returned some two months later on 26 January 2014, again as a single guest, in anticipation of the 2014 parliamentary election.Utisak nedelje;B92, 26 January 2014 His appearance came about unexpectedly since two days earlier on Friday, 24 January, Minister of Economy Saša Radulović had been announced as guest. One day before the show, 25 January, Radulović resigned his cabinet post and then didn't appear as guest on Utisak nedelje without an explanation. Instead, first deputy PM Vučić came on the programme. In another testy and awkward conversation that at times turned outright hostile, Bećković pressed Vučić on the reasons new elections are being called, Radulović's resignation, and the abandoned, supposedly reformist, labour law while evasive Vučić accused Bećković of bias, suggesting several times she is "framing the discussion to suit the current political needs of the Democratic Party (DS)" and is basing her questions on their press-releases.
Nine months later, on 28 October 2014, Bećković, at this point no longer on the air, revealed what went on behind the scenes that weekend in late January: "Radulović was coming on Utisak nedelje because he wanted to announce his resignation live on air that Sunday. When the B92 director saw the promos announcing Radulović as guest, she called me telling me 'please, this can't happen, Vučić is losing it, cancel Radulović immediately, find a way to break it to him' to which I told her 'OK, I can tell him he's been banned from appearing on Utisak on B92 at this particular time because Vučić has a problem with it', which is obviously not what she wanted me to tell him. Meanwhile, that Saturday morning Vučić dissolved the cabinet, effectively announcing new elections for March while his people offered me an exclusive with him a day later on Utisak. So Radulović's resignation suddenly became less important story news-wise. Still, I think I never felt more shame in my 25 years as a journalist than that day [for dropping Radulović]. Vučić came on instead of Radulović and the first deputy PM and I had that now-infamous interview. The day after the show, Vučić called me on my phone and told me 'Congratulations, you humiliated me in front an audience of millions' and that was the last time we talked".Olja Bećković: "Vučić ovde, da više nikad nisi okrenula moj telefon!";Istinomer, 28 October 2014Olja Bećković: “Vučić ovde, da više nikad nisi okrenula moj broj!;istinomer.rs, 28 October 2014
September 2014 removal from B92 In mid-September 2014, prior to the beginning of the show's 24th season on air, information appeared in Serbian media about Utisak nedelje leaving B92 and possibly ending for good.Utisak nedelje se seli sa B92;Blic, 16 September 2014 Apparently, B92 management wanted the show moved from its country-wide terrestrial channel TV B92 to its cable outfit B92 Info, all of which Bećković and her production team at PG Mreža vehemently rejected, insisting on their contract with B92 until 1 March 2015OLJA BEĆKOVIĆ NE POPUŠTA Odbija selidbu na "B92 info"!;Blic, 16 September 2014 to be honoured in full, including the strict stipulation of having the show air on the main terrestrial channel.Utisaka puna glava;Vreme, 18 September 2014 Simultaneously, a report also appeared in the Kurir tabloid, based "on sources close to the TV Pink owner Željko Mitrović", that Bećković has an offer of moving the show to TV Pink, a transfer that reportedly included "complete editorial freedom, €5,000 monthly salary, and the pick of any timeslot on Pink's schedule".BEĆKOVIĆEVA PRED IZAZOVOM: Mitrović zove Olju na Pink!;Kurir, 15 September 2014 Next day, the tabloid followed up with another report from an unnamed source close to Mitrović, this time claiming that in addition to all of the earlier stated offer terms, Mitrović is also willing to give Bećković the percentage from the show sponsors as well as lucrative ratings bonuses, all of which Mitrović himself confirmed when contacted by Kurir.ŽELJKO MITROVIĆ: Zvao sam Olju i ponudio joj platu veću od 5.000 evra i procenat od sponzora!;Kurir, 16 September 2014 Bećković's legal representative denied any contact with TV Pink, insisting she is under a valid and binding contract with B92.Advokat: Olja Bećković ima ugovor s B92, ne pregovara s Pinkom;Blic, 16 September 2014
The acrimony appeared to have died down a bit over the following days, especially once information appeared that B92 had apparently agreed to honour the terms of its contract with the show's producers and the start of a new season of Utisak nedelje had been scheduled for Sunday, 28 SeptemberOlja i „Utisak“ za sada ostaju na B92;Blic, 20 September 2014 as confirmed by the network's news division head Veran Matić."Utisak nedelje" ostaje na B92;mondo.rs, 18 September 2014
However, on 26 September, two days before the show's 24th season was scheduled to begin, B92's PR department put out a press release saying that the "airing of Utisak nedelje is being suspended until further notice due to failure to reach an agreement between the B92 management on one side and the Mreža production company and the show's author Olja Bećković on the other". The press release continued by claiming "Mreža and Bećković turned down the B92 management's offer of having Utisak nedelje air on the terrestrial channel until November 2014 before moving to become the leading format on the B92 Info cable channel all in an effort to have the cult series and its author's longstanding reputation contribute to the development of B92's cable news platform", before adding that the negotiations between the two sides are ongoing.Saopštenje B92 o "Utisku nedelje";B92, 26 September 2014 Several hours later, commenting the B92's press release, Bećković said to the Beta news agency: "Utisak nedelje didn't get suspended until further notice, it got banned. And I didn't turn down an offer, I turned down an ultimatum. They blackmailed me by telling me that the only way to continue under the terms of the current contract that's valid until March 2015 is to sign off on the show's move to B92 Info in November 2014. This is not a business decision; they were carrying out a political dictate".Olja Bećković: “Utisak nedelje” je zabranjen;Blic, 26 September 2014
Reaction