Nova BH

Nova BH is a commercial television channel in Bosnia and Herzegovina that began broadcasting under its current name on 9 October 2018. It succeeded Pink BH, a national commercial station that operated from 2003 until the rebrand. The channel is part of United Media, the media platform associated with United Group and active across South-East Europe. The channel is headquartered in Sarajevo and has additional offices and studios in Banja Luka. This two-city operating structure reflects the station's historical effort to reach viewers in both major administrative areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska. Before becoming Nova BH, the service developed a broad national footprint through the acquisition of local television stations and the use of their terrestrial frequencies. Pink BH's earlier network included RTV Kometa, NRTV Banja Luka, RTV Step, TV GLS, RTV Info Tes, TV Teodora and TV Ljubinje. During the Pink BH period, the station combined music, entertainment, locally produced programming, international television series and regional programming shared with related Pink channels. Its output included Bosnian sitcoms, locally made talk and entertainment shows, regional morning programming and adaptations of international formats such as Big Brother and Wife Swap. The channel was described as unusually successful in attracting viewers across Bosnia and Herzegovina's different political, geographic and ethnic communities. The transition to Nova BH followed a 2018 transaction in which Pink International Company sold its Bosnian and Montenegrin divisions to Direct Media. A temporary Bosnian cable channel, Pink Media BH, was launched in September 2018, followed by the Nova BH name change the next month. Under the Nova BH identity, the channel has continued to combine general entertainment, domestic production, news and sports rights. Its principal news bulletin is Dnevnik Newsmax Adria, broadcast daily and presented under a visual identity connected with the Newsmax brand license. Nova BH has also carried matches involving the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team, including UEFA Nations League fixtures, European Championship qualifying matches and friendly games during the 2018–2022 period. Distribution has included terrestrial transmission and carriage by major Bosnian telecommunications and pay-television platforms. In 2020, a dispute over a proposed monthly carriage fee led BH Telecom, Eronet and Mtel to remove the channel from their schedules temporarily; BH Telecom and Eronet restored it in 2021. By 2022, Nova BH was reported as Bosnia and Herzegovina's most-watched television channel, with a 10.1 percent audience share.

Nova BH's history begins with the Bosnian commercial station Pink BH, which started operations in May 2003. The service was created through the Bosnian subsidiary of Pink TV and Pink International Company. To build a national terrestrial footprint, the operation acquired several local television stations, including RTV Kometa, NRTV Banja Luka, RTV Step, TV GLS, RTV Info Tes, TV Teodora and TV Ljubinje, together with access to their broadcasting frequencies. The Bosnia and Herzegovina Communications Regulatory Agency issued the station a ten-year broadcasting licence on 15 July 2005. With production centres, offices and studios in Sarajevo and Banja Luka, Pink BH expanded its terrestrial reach to more than 80 percent of the country and was reported to cover approximately 63 percent of the population. Pink Media Group opened a new Sarajevo headquarters in the Alipašino polje neighbourhood in June 2008. Pink BH developed a general-interest schedule built around music and entertainment, while also carrying American series, Bosnian sitcoms, news and locally made programs. Its local output included Sarajevo On Line, Made in Banja Luka, Zabranjeni forum, Sa Tanjom na ti, Dobar komšija and Izzy game. It also participated in regional co-productions with Pink TV, Pink BH and Pink M. The Balkan Net morning program connected studios in Belgrade, Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Montenegro. Through cooperation with Emotion production company, the station also aired regional versions of international formats including Big Brother, Wife Swap and Russian Roulette. Pink BH was once described as a leading privately owned television station in Bosnia and Herzegovina and as a rare channel with audiences in both major administrative entities and among the country's three principal ethnic communities. Its performance later weakened. In April 2010, the station reportedly dismissed 57 of its 163 employees after management cited lower revenue and declining viewership. The reported revenue decline was linked to the period after 2008, but no independently verified financial dataset is included here. In June 2018, Pink International Company sold its Bosnian and Montenegrin divisions, Pink BH and Pink M, to Direct Media. Pink Media BH, a new cable service aimed at the Bosnian market, launched in September 2018. On 9 October 2018, the station itself was renamed Nova BH. The rebrand placed the channel within the United Media portfolio and connected it to a wider regional media network. Under the Nova BH name, the channel continued as a national commercial broadcaster. Its schedule has included news, domestic entertainment, regional and international content, and sports. Dnevnik Newsmax Adria serves as its principal daily news program and uses a visual identity associated with the Newsmax brand licence. Nova BH has also broadcast Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team matches in UEFA Nations League competition, European qualifiers and friendly fixtures during the 2018–2022 period. The channel has been distributed through terrestrial transmission and through major Bosnian platforms including Telemach, TotalTV, Eronet and BH Telecom. A carriage dispute in February 2020 resulted in several operators removing Nova BH after rejecting a proposed viewing fee. BH Telecom and Eronet restored the channel to their schedules in 2021. In 2022, Nova BH was reported to have become Bosnia and Herzegovina's most-watched television channel, with a 10.1 percent share.

• 2022

  Reported leading audience share

  [1]Nova BHen.wikipedia.org

  Nova BH is reported as Bosnia and Herzegovina's most-watched television channel, with a 10.1 percent share.

• 2020

  Carriage dispute affects distribution

  [1]Nova BHen.wikipedia.org

  Several Bosnian telecommunications operators temporarily remove Nova BH after rejecting a proposed carriage fee.

• 2018

  Bosnian division changes ownership

  [1]Nova BHen.wikipedia.org

  Pink International Company sells its Bosnian and Montenegrin divisions to Direct Media.

• 2018

  Nova BH launches

  [1]Nova BHen.wikipedia.org

  Pink BH adopts the Nova BH name on 9 October and enters the United Media portfolio.

• 2008

  New Sarajevo headquarters opens

  [1]Nova BHen.wikipedia.org

  Pink Media Group opens a new headquarters for its Bosnian operation in Sarajevo's Alipašino polje neighbourhood.

• 2005

  National broadcasting licence issued

  [1]Nova BHen.wikipedia.org

  The Bosnia and Herzegovina Communications Regulatory Agency grants Pink BH a ten-year broadcasting licence.

• 2003

  Pink BH begins operations

  [1]Nova BHen.wikipedia.org

  The Bosnian commercial television station that later became Nova BH starts broadcasting under the Pink BH name.

A broad-reach Bosnian commercial television channel combining national news, locally produced entertainment, regional programming, international content and selected sports rights.

• Commercial television channel · 2018

  Nova BH television channel

  The core Nova BH service is a Bosnian commercial television channel available through terrestrial transmission and selected cable, IPTV and satellite platforms. Its general-interest schedule combines news, entertainment, locally produced programming, regional content, international series and sports broadcasts. The channel operates from Sarajevo and maintains offices and studios in Banja Luka, supporting its national reach.

• Television news program · 2020

  Dnevnik Newsmax Adria

  Dnevnik Newsmax Adria is Nova BH's principal daily news bulletin. It is broadcast at 18:15 UTC and uses a visual identity associated with the Newsmax brand licence. The program forms the central news component of the channel's schedule.

• Television program

  Nova IN

  Nova IN is listed among Nova BH's branded or regularly scheduled television offerings. The available reference material identifies the program but does not provide enough detail to describe its format, presenters or production history.

• 2020

  Proposed carriage fee for Nova BHPrice change

  Background

  United Group proposed a fee for distribution of Nova BH on certain Bosnian telecommunications platforms.

  Action taken

  BH Telecom, Eronet and Mtel rejected the offer and temporarily excluded Nova BH from their program schedules.

  Aftermath

  BH Telecom and Eronet returned Nova BH to their schedules in 2021. The reference material does not establish the final commercial terms.

  Source

• 2018

  Transfer from Pink International Company to Direct MediaM&A

  Background

  Pink International Company decided to sell its Bosnian and Montenegrin television divisions, including Pink BH, in 2018.

  Action taken

  The Bosnian operation was transferred to Direct Media and subsequently rebranded Nova BH.

  Aftermath

  The station entered the United Media portfolio and continued broadcasting under the Nova BH identity from October 2018.

  Source

• 2018

  Rebranding from Pink BH to Nova BHStrategy

  Background

  Following the ownership change involving the Bosnian and Montenegrin Pink divisions, the Bosnian channel adopted a new identity.

  Action taken

  The station changed its name from Pink BH to Nova BH on 9 October 2018.

  Aftermath

  Nova BH became the operating brand for the national commercial channel within United Media's regional portfolio.

  Source

1. 1Nova BHen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Nova BH official websitenovabh.tv