OSCE Kosovo mission supports minority language radio news programmes

MITROVICE/MITROVICA, 1 June 2005 - Four radio stations in the Mitrovice/Mitrovica region today started to produce and broadcast daily news programmes in the Roma, Bosnian and Turkish languages, with financial support from the OSCE Mission in Kosovo.

"This small but significant step is clear evidence of mature and responsible attitude from the part of local broadcasters," said Alastair Butchart-Livingston, Head of OSCE Mitrovicë/Mitrovice Office. "It provides benefits for members of smaller communities regardless of ethnicity, while developing professionalism and information sharing among the media."

The radio stations are Radio Ylberi - 94.9 MHz (Mitrovice/Mitrovica municipality), Radio Mir- 92.9 MHz (Leposavic/Leposaviq), Radio Kosovska Mitrovica - 103,3 MHz (Zvecan/Zvecan), and Radio Vicianum - 105.7 MHz (Vushtrri/Vucitrn).

The daily news programmes are in addition to the news programming currently provided by the stations in either the Serbian or Albanian languages.

"The goal of the broadcasters involved in this project is to serve the informational needs of the Roma, Bosniak and Turk communities in the region, while also contributing to inter-ethnic tolerance and co-operation," added Butchart-Livingston.

Radio Kosovska Mitrovica and Radio Mir, which broadcast primarily in Serbian, will air news programmes in the Roma language. Radio Vicianum will broadcast news in Turkish while Radio Ylberi will air in Bosnian and Turkish. The news programmes are produced and anchored by journalists from the respective communities, integrated into the news desks of the radio stations.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo supports the concept of multi-ethnic broadcasting and welcomes the willingness of these four radio stations to serve not only the majority communities in their respective municipalities, but the smaller communities as well. This commitment by the media is in keeping with the fulfilment of Standards for Kosovo.