Velibor Zujovic Dies Three Days After His Birthday

Velibor Zujovic, longtime journalist and editor at Radio Belgrade’s Second Program, died on August 14 in Belgrade, in his 73rd year, the Union of Journalists of Serbia (UNS), of which he was a member, announced. He was buried at Novo Bezanijsko Cemetery, with his family present. Grand Produkcija announced the date of the memorial service yesterday.

He was born on August 11, 1954, in Vracevic near Lajkovac. He died three days after his birthday.

Half a Century Since ‘Tup-tup’

He began his career in journalism in 1975, at Radio Belgrade’s Second Program, as a contributor to the show “Tup-tup.” Until the end of 1984, he worked in parallel as a journalist and writer on the show “Tacno u podne,” alongside Milovan Ilic Minimaks.

From January 1985, he was a journalist and host on the Educational Program of Radio Belgrade’s First Program. A year later he moved to the news desk of the Second Program. He also hosted shows dedicated to the cultural life of the Serbian diaspora, and worked on series filmed in Europe, the Americas, and Canada about prominent Serbs living abroad and about monasteries and churches in the diaspora.

His collaboration with Minimaks carried over from radio to television. Zujovic also left behind shows outside the news program:

• “Minimaksovizija,” “Maksovizija,” and “Nedelja kod Minimaksa,” with Milovan Ilic
• “Beskrajni plavi krug,” “S pesnikom u podne,” and the morning program, on the Second Program’s culture desk
• “Pesnici recituju svoje pesme,” a radio series colleagues remembered

Together with Dragomir Brajkovic, he published the book “Glasovi neumrlih.” Photographer Zoran Kuzmanovic Munja, who knew him for more than four decades, met him at the very start of that career.

“I’ve known him since he worked with Minimaks. We met sometime in 1975. When Danilo Strbac, who was Minimaks’s collaborator at the time, moved to TV Revija, Velja started making shows with Minimaks. Later he had some other projects as well,” Kuzmanovic recalled.

What Did Velibor Zujovic Do at Grand?

He joined Grand Produkcija in 2001 and stayed with the company for 25 years. He worked as a producer and in marketing. He is remembered most, however, for the auditions: he was present at nearly every audition for “Zvezde Granda,” from the moment the competition was founded.

Retirement did not stop him. He kept working on Grand’s projects even after he retired, something Kuzmanovic particularly emphasized.

“He was Grand’s collaborator from day one. Sasa Popovic trusted him. I’ve known him for almost 40 years, and for more than 40 years. He was a professional, and when he retired, he kept working with Grand.”

Zujovic was also one of the people interviewed in the documentary “Sale,” dedicated to Grand Produkcija’s founder and director Sasa Popovic. As a producer, he followed his work closely for years, and in the film he spoke about him this way:

“It was extraordinary to work with a professional like Sasa Popovic. Simply put, everyone knew who was in charge. Sasa never acted arrogant. He always had understanding for the people who worked for him, and he often made accommodations for those who were sick.”

That was one of the last times he spoke publicly about the company where he spent a quarter of a century.

Memorial Service Set for Tuesday at Radio Belgrade

The funeral was held at Novo Bezanijsko Cemetery, with only family present. Grand Produkcija, in a post on its website, also stated when colleagues would be able to say goodbye to him.

“The memorial service will be held on Tuesday, August 18, at noon at Radio Belgrade,” the statement reads.

The location is no coincidence. Radio Belgrade is the house where Velibor Zujovic began his career in 1975 and where he stayed until retirement, and it is there that a circle spanning half a century will close on Tuesday. He received several awards for his radio work.