The first issue of
Monitor was printed in
Sarajevo in 20,000 copies and then distributed in SR Montenegro where it sold in symbolic numbers—only couple of hundred of copies. Although the magazine listed 76 individuals as its founders (among them politicians
Slavko Perović,
Žarko Rakčević,
Ljubiša Stanković,
Dragiša Burzan, etc.), in actuality only the editor-in-chief
Miodrag "Miško" Perović and main financier Stanislav "Ćano" Koprivica had actual influence on its editorial policy. Following the poor sales of the first issue, the magazine effectively went bankrupt and was only kept alive via individual donations. The subsequent eight issues were also printed in
Sarajevo. Since Koprivica also generously financed the
Liberal Alliance of Montenegro (LSCG) and
Social Democratic Party (SDP),
Monitor was in essence another arm of the same political front. Somewhat similar in tone and political stance to other newly-launched liberal publications throughout Yugoslavia such as
Belgrade's
Vreme or
Split's
Feral Tribune,
Monitor was also critical of the rising
nationalism across the country, especially of the Slobodan Milošević-led authorities in
SR Serbia. Furthermore, it also frequently criticized the
SR Montenegro leadership, considering them to be Milošević's pawns. As the League of Communists of Montenegro transformed into the
Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro (DPS) in July 1991 and Yugoslavia began to disintegrate through
war,
Monitor adopted an anti-war stance with pointed criticism of Montenegro's involvement and effort in it through the attack on
Konavle and the
Siege of Dubrovnik. Managed out of a family house in Podgorica's Dalmatinska Street, the magazine intensely criticized the ruling DPS party and its leadership: Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Đukanović, Montenegrin President Momir Bulatović as well as party's leader at the time Svetozar Marović. Its makeshift offices were even fire bombed during the Siege of Dubrovnik. During the same period, and especially following the creation of the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia after the
1992 Montenegrin referendum,
Monitor was a strong supporter and advocate of Montenegrin independence, which even more aligned it politically and ideologically with LSCG and SDPCG. By spring 1994, Koprivica mostly ended his financial support of
Monitor, which is when Miško Perović took over that aspect of the magazine's operation as well. Organizationally, the magazine was under the umbrella of Perović's
Montenegropublic company. Although
George Soros already had a prominent part in
Monitor's financing through the local branch of his newly founded
Open Society Institute network, this affiliation became even more pronounced after Koprivica left. In September 1995, the magazine's place in the
Montenegropublic's organizational structure changed when it was registered within the company as a distinct entity with
Željko Ivanović as its managing director. On the same occasion, the same was done with
Montenegropublic's other assets: radio station
Antena M and radio production studio Mouse. By the late 1990s, most on the list of original owners signed their stake in the magazine over to Perović, who thus basically became the sole owner. ==See also==