The AVMU media regulator found that 1TV journalist Saso Ordanoski violated a number of professional standards during his much criticized interview with opposition VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski on Thursday evening.

The initial Media Agency findings indicate that in parts of the interview the journalist is violating the principles of respecting the dignity of the person, presumption of innocence, and the need to represent the events fairly and objectively, in an unbiased manner with the representation of various sides and points of view, the AVMU Media Agency said in its press release.

Ordanoski, who is an outspoken support of the ruling SDSM party, was roundly criticized on social media during and after the interview, by many calling him bitter and blinded by his hatred of VMRO. Mickoski himself, at one point, joked that while he can’t get SDSM leader Zoran Zaev to debate him, debating Ordanoski is the next best thing.

Ordanoski recently joined the 1TV station, along with a number of other strongly pro-SDSM journalists. AVMU began investigating the ownership structure of the newly founded television after a businessman accused the TV station’s owner, the flamboyant Bojan Jovanovski, of attempting to extort money from him.

SDSM is in the process of subverting the ostensibly independent media regulator and putting it under its control, with a law which would replace the structure of  the AVMU board and likely fill it with more party loyalists.