Overview

Zoran Modli (Serbian Cyrillic: Зоран Модли) was a well-known Serbian journalist, radio presenter and aviator who became one of the most recognizable broadcast personalities in Yugoslavia and later Serbia. Born in Zemun in April 1948, Modli built a reputation for promoting contemporary and alternative music on radio and for combining journalistic insight with a distinctive, approachable on-air style. He worked across several notable programs from the early 1980s until the 2000s and maintained a parallel career as a professional pilot.

Radio career and programming

Modli gained widespread public attention as the host of Ventilator 202, a program that began in the early 1980s and helped introduce new rock and pop sounds to a broad audience. In later decades he hosted Modulacije during the 1990s and launched ZAIR around 2000, each program reflecting changing musical trends and broadcasting formats. His shows were praised for eclectic playlists, support of emerging artists and a conversational approach that emphasized music discovery over rigid formats. For context on his broader journalistic work, see references to his role as a Serbian journalist and broadcaster.

Notable shows and features

  • Ventilator 202 — widely regarded as his breakthrough program in the 1980s.
  • Modulacije — a 1990s show that responded to evolving media and musical landscapes.
  • ZAIR — a program started around 2000 reflecting new radio practices and audiences.

These programs combined curated music, interviews and occasional live segments; listeners often credited Modli with broadening access to international and domestic alternative music. His background as a disc jockey and presenter made him a fixture in radio culture and an influential voice for several generations of listeners and musicians.

Aviation career

Alongside broadcasting, Modli was a professional pilot for more than three decades. He spent about twenty years with the state airline Jat Airways, where he flew aircraft such as the Boeing 727 and gained experience on scheduled international routes. After leaving the national carrier he worked for private operators, including Prince Aviation. His dual careers in media and aviation were unusual and contributed to his public profile as both a cultural figure and an aviator. For a note on the aircraft type associated with his Jat service, see Boeing 727.

2010 accident and later life

On 15 July 2010 Modli was involved in a runway accident while piloting a Cessna Citation II at Brač Airport in Bol, Croatia; the aircraft ran off the runway and caught fire, but all passengers evacuated without serious injuries. Modli survived the incident and subsequently stepped away from active flying duties with his employer. Coverage of the event and its aftermath appears in contemporary reports and aviation summaries; one source notes the airport location near Bol and the broader context of aviation reporting in the region — see radio and aviation reports and further details in later accounts found via Belgrade-based notices.

Legacy and passing

Zoran Modli remained a memorable presence for listeners who experienced Yugoslav and Serbian radio from the 1980s onward. He is often remembered for his role in championing new music, his distinct on-air voice and the rare combination of careers in media and aviation. Modli died in Belgrade on 23 February 2020 at the age of 71. For archival materials, interviews and program histories, researchers and fans may consult broadcasting archives and collections linked through regional media resources such as aviation and media archives and public broadcaster records that index his work under his name and program titles.