A divided nation failed to create a common media platform.
After more than ten years of chronic underfunding, the public service broadcaster and EBU member BHRT - Radiotelevision of Bosnia and Herzegovina has today been forced to close its television channel BHT1 and radio channel BH Radio 1. The company's debts amount to around 40 million euro, of which onefifth is owed to the EBU. The background is a political and economic crisis. The problems include unpaid license fees, disagreements over media laws, debts to the EBU, and the regional broadcasters (RTRS and RTVF) refusing to transfer revenues.
As early as 2017, serious concerns were expressed within the EU that the company would collapse unless the parliament made an adequate financing decision. The collapse of a public service broadcaster is unacceptable for a country that is a member of the Council of Europe and is now opening negotiations for membership in the European Union. Bosnia and Herzegovina would become the only European country without a public service broadcaster, which is contrary to European standards and values, the EU believes. It calls on the Bosnian authorities to ensure the independence of BHRT, as well as its financial sustainability.
Radio Sarajevo broadcast its first programme to the liberated country in 1945. The first television program was broadcast in 1961 from the TV Sarajevo studio. During that period, RTSA was a full member of the JRT system (Yugoslav Radio Television) in the SFRJ. In 1991, RTV Sarajevo was restructured into RTV BiH, as a public company. After the dissolution of Yugoslavia, RTV BiH became a member of the JRT system and on 1 January 1993 it was admitted as an independent active member of the EBU.
Currently, BHRT operates a public television channel (BHT 1) and a public radio channel (BH Radio 1). There is also a online presence at www.bhrt.ba. Together with the two regional broadcasters, Radio Television of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Radio Television of the Republika Srpska, which operate on their own channels and frequencies, BHRT constitutes the public broadcasting system of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As a public television channel, BHT 1 broadcasts 24/7 throughout the country (covering more than 97% of the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina) via terrestrial networks and satellite. Radio is broadcast on AM and FM. Plans for a digital DAB+ introduction is now being scrapped.
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Deadline given by the EBU to BHRT expires Tomorrow (Sarajevo Times)