SARAJEVO, November 27 (FENA) – Shutting down BHRT would mean shutting down the state, this was the message heard today in front of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where employees of the Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT) protested, warning of years of legal neglect and the collapse of the country’s only state-level public media service.
At the same time, BHT1 and BH Radio 1 are broadcasting a multi-hour special program titled ”Don’t Shut Down BHRT”, entirely devoted to the public broadcaster’s crisis, its causes, and the consequences for the citizens of BiH.
BHRT is facing its most difficult situation since its founding, and its survival depends on the collection of the RTV license fee paid by citizens.
According to the law, BHRT is entitled to 50 percent of the collected funds, while the FBiH Television and RTRS each receive 25 percent.
In 2017, RTRS unilaterally stopped transferring its share, causing the debt to BHRT to grow to over 100 million KM.
Employees of the National and University Library of BiH joined the protest, while political representatives continue to repeat that ”funds exist, but there is no political will”.
Acting BHRT Director Belmin Karamehmedović said that today’s protest is the last plea to save the broadcaster, which is celebrating 80 years of existence this year.
”For years, this agony has continued. The law is clear, but RTRS has flagrantly violated it since 2017. If even after this there is no response, I don’t know what else we can do to save BHRT,” he said.
Denis Džidić, Director of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), emphasized that BHRT is the only state public broadcaster and that its closure would mean citizens losing a primary source of information.
Media law expert and former FBiH Media Ombudsman Mehmed Halilović stated that the crisis results from political arbitrariness and failure to enforce the law.
BHRT Program Director Neda Tadić warned that the public broadcaster faces electricity and gas disconnection, account blockages, and asset seizures based on court rulings.
”Operations are already difficult, and the coming months bring additional threats to survival,” she said.
Merima Kurtović Pašalić, President of the BHRT Workers’ Union, stated that employees will no longer beg, and that it is the state’s duty to maintain a public broadcaster.
Former BHRT Director Milenko Voćkić reminded that workers’ demands are the same as 35 years ago.
”The same forces that advocated the division and elimination of the public broadcaster back then are doing it today, just with different methods. The national interest is placed above the professional, with the same goal: to weaken and shut down BHRT,” he said, drawing parallels to wartime, when the public broadcaster faced attempts at physical destruction.
Former BHRT employee Sanela Prašović-Gadžo warned that shutting down the public broadcaster would have direct consequences for the functioning of the state.
She noted that BHRT’s transmitters carry communications for numerous institutions, from police and the military to telecom operators.
Today’s protest in front of the BiH Parliament brought together BHRT employees, former staff, media experts, and representatives of cultural institutions. Their message was unanimous: BHRT is essential for the survival of the state and its European path.
