OSCE starts consultations on sustainable, independent financing for Kosovo’s public broadcaster

PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 14 March 2016 - The OSCE Mission in Kosovo held today the first of a series of four roundtables to be held this month on the ways to secure financing for the public service broadcaster, Radio Television Kosovo (RTK).

Through these roundtables, the Mission will consult a wide range of experts - journalists, Members of Parliament, academia, representatives of NGOs and media institutions - on the impact of the lack of financing on the public service broadcaster and its editorial policy, as well as on its further development.

The RTK has been without sustainable financing since 2009 when a court suspended the funding of RTK  through household electricity bills, citing human rights and discrimination concerns.

“We are in 2016 and alternative and viable funding options for the financing of RTK are still being considered, pending a final decision. On-going issues pertaining to the financing mechanisms and to the Law on RTK have to urgently be solved,” said Ambassador Jean-Claude Schlumberger, Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo.

“Without sustainable financing, the public broadcaster cannot develop into a full-fledged service provider for its audience. In addition, the already-existing delays with the digitalization process are exacerbated by this lack of funding,” he added.  

The roundtables will be followed-up with a regional conference in April, with experts from the Western Balkans and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), to come up with recommendations, for relevant institutions to consider while amending and implementing the Law on RTK.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is mandated with the protection and promotion of human rights, democratization, and public safety sector development. It helps safeguard freedom of the media and freedom of expression and supports media development.