Kosovo's RTK: A Public Broadcaster on the Brink

The warning that RTK may run out of funding within days and be unable to pay its employees for the month of July is alarming. In the absence of a functional Parliamentary Assembly, the IFJ, EFJ and AJK call on the government of Kosovo to take the necessary steps to ensure continued funding for RTK. Journalists, cameramen, and other RTK staff must be able to perform their work without interference from political or financial pressures.

The current political stalemate in Kosovo significantly impacts the government's ability to address the funding crisis at RTK. Following a general election that delivered no outright winner, Kosovo's only public broadcaster, RTK, is stuck in an impasse. Acting head Hysen Hundozi highlights that decision-making is all but on hold due to the political uncertainty. The appointment of a new board and director-general at RTK "depends on the government formation process. Once the government is formed, discussions regarding the appointment of new individuals to key positions at RTK can take place. At this stage, due to the political uncertainty, it is still difficult to give a clear timeline for the appointment of the board and the DG at RTK," explains Hundozi. This political stalemate has led to a situation where only four out of 11 members remain on the board of directors, with some resigning and the terms of others expiring. The political uncertainty has also resulted in a tumultuous year at the pubcaster, punctuated by the resignation of the then DG, Shkumbin Ahmetxjekaj, whose departure was blamed by some media freedom groups on political pressure. There have also been concerns raised about the state financing of RTK, which was established in 2001 to serve the public interest but now relies heavily on state funding. The current annual budget stands at under €9m (US$10.4m), which is the lowest among public broadcasters in the region, according to Hundozi. He hopes to secure a new law that would ensure the broadcaster's financial stability.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), and Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK) have expressed deep concern over the potential consequences of RTK running out of budget. Xhemajl Rexha, AJK chairperson and EFJ Honorary Treasurer, stated, "It would mean no salaries for some 700 employees, and a potential disruption of news and programs that are of importance to the public. We are following closely and urge the Kosovo government to take necessary steps to avoid the worst." This disruption could lead to a significant loss of trust in media institutions, as the public relies on RTK for accurate and unbiased information. Furthermore, the lack of funding could result in a decline in the quality of programming, as RTK may be forced to cut back on production and staff. This could lead to a decrease in public trust in media institutions, as the public may perceive RTK as unreliable or biased. The EFJ President Maja Sever added, "We hope that the Kosovo authorities will undertake urgent measures to enable the appropriate work of public media, in line with European standards, which requires guarantees of longer term funding, stable governance, sustainability and decent working conditions." Without these guarantees, the long-term viability of RTK and the media landscape in Kosovo could be at risk.

The IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger added: “We are deeply troubled by the non-allocation of the legally approved budget, which is seriously jeopardising the functioning of Kosovo’s public broadcaster and the well-being of its employees. The government must urgently unblock the budget and guarantee the future of RTK and decent working conditions for its staff.” The current political stalemate in Kosovo significantly impacts the government's ability to address the funding crisis at RTK. Following a general election that delivered no outright winner, Kosovo's only public broadcaster, RTK, is stuck in an impasse. Acting head Hysen Hundozi highlights that decision-making is all but on hold due to the political uncertainty. The appointment of a new board and director-general at RTK "depends on the government formation process. Once the government is formed, discussions regarding the appointment of new individuals to key positions at RTK can take place. At this stage, due to the political uncertainty, it is still difficult to give a clear timeline for the appointment of the board and the DG at RTK," explains Hundozi. This political stalemate has led to a situation where only four out of 11 members remain on the board of directors, with some resigning and the terms of others expiring. The political uncertainty has also resulted in a tumultuous year at the pubcaster, punctuated by the resignation of the then DG, Shkumbin Ahmetxjekaj, whose departure was blamed by some media freedom groups on political pressure. There have also been concerns raised about the state financing of RTK, which was established in 2001 to serve the public interest but now relies heavily on state funding. The current annual budget stands at under €9m (US$10.4m), which is the lowest among public broadcasters in the region, according to Hundozi. He hopes to secure a new law that would ensure the broadcaster's financial stability. To ensure the broadcaster's financial stability, the government must take urgent measures to enable the appropriate work of public media, in line with European standards, which requires guarantees of longer term funding, stable governance, sustainability and decent working conditions. The IFJ, EFJ and AJK call on the government of Kosovo to take the necessary steps to ensure continued funding for RTK. Journalists, cameramen, and other RTK staff must be able to perform their work without interference from political or financial pressures. The government must urgently unblock the budget and guarantee the future of RTK and decent working conditions for its staff.