Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from BHRT)

Template:Short description Template:DMCA

Page Module:Hatnote/styles.css has no content.

"BHRT" redirects here. The term may also refer to bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.

Page Module:Infobox/styles.css has no content.

Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina
TypePublic broadcaster
Country
Bosnia and Herzegovina
First air date
10 April 1945; 81 years ago (1945-04-10) (radio)
1 June 1961; 65 years ago (1961-06-01) (television)
AvailabilityNational; worldwide through selected online and IPTV services
TV stationsBHT1
Radio stationsBH Radio 1
HeadquartersRTV Dom, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Key people
Belmin Karamehmedović, director-general
Former names
RTV Sarajevo
RTVBiH
Public Broadcasting Service of BiH
AffiliationTemplate:Pluralize from textEuropean Broadcasting Union
Official website
bhrt.ba
LanguageBosnian, Croatian and Serbian

Radiotelevizija Bosne i Hercegovine (BHRT; Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina) is the state-level public broadcaster of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It operates the television channel BHT1, the radio station BH Radio 1, the Music Production unit of BHRT and online services.[1]

BHRT is part of the public broadcasting system of Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with the entity broadcasters Radio and Television of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (RTVFBiH) and Radio Television of Republika Srpska (RTRS). It is the only member of the European Broadcasting Union from Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2026, BHRT employed about 700 people.[2]

History

RTV Sarajevo

The development of electronic media in Bosnia and Herzegovina began on 10 April 1945, when Radio Sarajevo made its first broadcast.[3] Television Sarajevo began broadcasting on 1 June 1961. It later became one of the republican broadcasting centres of Yugoslav Radio Television (JRT).[1]

During the 1960s and 1970s, RTV Sarajevo expanded its programming and technical capacity. The television news magazine Večernji ekran began in 1969, while the main television news programme TV Dnevnik was launched in 1971.[3] The local radio station Sarajevo 202 began broadcasting in 1971 and became associated with Sarajevo's urban and youth culture.[4]

The first phase of the RTV Dom broadcasting centre in Sarajevo was completed in the 1970s, providing RTV Sarajevo with new production and technical facilities. RTV Sarajevo was also involved in the broadcasting of the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, which required significant technical expansion and new production facilities.[5]

In the second half of the 1980s, RTV Sarajevo became known for music, entertainment and youth programming. It produced music videos and television material connected with the Sarajevo pop and rock scene, including artists such as Crvena Jabuka, Plavi Orkestar and Dino Merlin.[6] The Youth Programme of Radio Sarajevo 2, launched in 1987, included satirical and alternative programming associated with Top lista nadrealista and other Sarajevo cultural projects.[6]

Bosnian War

After the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the outbreak of the Bosnian War in 1992, RTV Sarajevo continued operating under wartime conditions as Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (RTVBiH). Several secondary radio and television services were suspended, while broadcasting was consolidated around the main radio and television services.

The RTV Dom building in Sarajevo was damaged during the war and was repeatedly exposed to shelling. Despite the damage and wartime conditions, RTVBiH continued broadcasting from Sarajevo. On 1 January 1993, RTVBiH was admitted as an active member of the European Broadcasting Union.[5]

Post-war restructuring

After the war, Bosnia and Herzegovina's public broadcasting system was restructured under decisions of the Office of the High Representative. On 23 October 2000, High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch imposed the Public Broadcasting System Restructuring Act, which reorganised the former RTVBiH into a state-level broadcaster and two entity-level broadcasters.[7]

The state-level broadcaster was established as the Public Broadcasting Service of Bosnia and Herzegovina, later known as BHRT. The entity broadcasters became Radio and Television of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Radio Television of Republika Srpska.[7]

BH Radio 1 began broadcasting on 7 May 2001. The first news programme of BHT1 was broadcast on 7 May 2002.[1][8] In August 2004, BHT1 began broadcasting on its own national frequencies, with coverage of more than 90% of the country.[1]

Organisation

BHRT is the state-level component of the public broadcasting system of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It operates:

  • BHT1, a state-level public television channel;
  • BH Radio 1, a state-level public radio station;
  • MP BHRT, the broadcaster's music production unit;
  • online and multimedia services.

Most BHRT production is based at RTV Dom in Sarajevo. The broadcaster has also developed information and technical centres in cities including Bihać, Banja Luka, Mostar, Tuzla and Zenica.[5]

The wider public broadcasting system also includes RTVFBiH and RTRS. The system was designed to coordinate financing, transmission and programme responsibilities, but its operation has often been affected by political disputes, institutional deadlock and disagreements over the collection and distribution of the RTV licence fee.[9]

Funding crisis

BHRT has faced a prolonged financial crisis caused by disputes over the public broadcasting fee, unpaid debts, legal disputes between public broadcasters and political disagreement over the future of the broadcasting system.

The public broadcasting system is funded partly through a monthly RTV fee. Under the system, BHRT is entitled to a share of fees collected by the entity broadcasters. However, RTRS has not regularly transferred BHRT's share of the fee collected in Republika Srpska, which has contributed to large accumulated debts.[2] Reuters reported in February 2026 that RTRS owed BHRT more than 104 million convertible marks.[2]

BHRT has also accumulated debts to employees, suppliers, utility companies and the European Broadcasting Union. In 2026, Reuters reported that BHRT owed about 100 million convertible marks in total and that the broadcaster's financial position threatened its ability to continue operating.[2] The European Parliament also noted in April 2026 that BHRT reportedly carried debts of around €51 million, including debt to the European Broadcasting Union.[10]

BHRT has repeatedly warned that the crisis could result in account blockages, loss of services, non-payment of salaries and interruption of broadcasting. The broadcaster and its trade union have appealed to state institutions for urgent financial and legal measures.[11]

On 26 February 2026, BHRT suspended most regular programming and displayed a warning screen about the possible shutdown of the public service. News bulletins continued to be broadcast.[2][12] The action was described by BHRT as a warning about the absence of a systemic funding solution.[12]

International organisations have expressed concern about the crisis. The European Union delegation in Bosnia and Herzegovina warned that the collapse of BHRT would damage the country's democratic standards and its European integration process.[2]

Editorial and political issues

BHRT and the public broadcasting system have often been the subject of political disputes. Public broadcasters in Bosnia and Herzegovina operate in a divided media and political environment, and their financing, management appointments and editorial policies have been criticised by domestic and international observers.[13]

Political officials from different parties have criticised BHRT's editorial policy at various times. Officials from Republika Srpska, including Milorad Dodik, have repeatedly opposed the state-level broadcaster and the public broadcasting fee, while BHRT has accused political actors of undermining the legal financing system.[14]

Relations between BHRT and the entity broadcasters have also been strained. In May 2024, BHRT temporarily interrupted the signal of Federal Television over unpaid transmission services. A court ordered the signal to be restored, and the dispute became part of the wider debate over debts and responsibilities within the public broadcasting system.[15]

Digital broadcasting

Bosnia and Herzegovina's transition from analogue to digital terrestrial television has been delayed for many years. The country missed the international digital switchover deadline of 17 June 2015, and the process was slowed by disputes over procurement, transmission infrastructure and control of the digital network.[16]

Limited test digital broadcasting by the three public broadcasters began in October 2016 in Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Mostar.[17] The wider rollout remained incomplete for several years. In 2022, Bosnia and Herzegovina began switching off a number of analogue transmitters following interference complaints related to neighbouring countries' digital and mobile networks.[18]

A renewed digitalisation process began in the mid-2020s. In 2025, DVB-T2 broadcasting was launched in Sarajevo, Mostar and Banja Luka, with further expansion planned through a network of transmission sites.[19][20]

Archives

BHRT holds a large audiovisual and sound archive inherited from RTV Sarajevo and RTVBiH. The archive includes radio and television material from the Yugoslav period, the Bosnian War and the post-war period. It is used by journalists, researchers, filmmakers and cultural institutions.[21]

The archive faces preservation problems because much of the material is stored on older analogue formats. BHRT archivists have warned that parts of the collection require urgent digitisation and that some material is difficult to access because playback equipment is obsolete or no longer functional.[21][22]

See also

References

Page Template:Reflist/styles.css has no content.

  1. ^ a b c d Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."BHRT – Javni radiotelevizijski servis Bosne i Hercegovine". BHRT (in bosanski). Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Bosnia state TV halts programmes to protest over funding crisis". Reuters. 26 February 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  3. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Svjetski dan radija". Media.ba (in bosanski). 13 February 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Gašenje ili nastavak rada u novim okvirima?". Media.ba (in bosanski). 9 December 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
  5. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.80 godina BHRT-a: Ogledalo društva. BHRT. 5 April 2025. Retrieved 17 November 2025 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Hujic, Lida (30 April 2025). "Made in Sarajevo: When Bosnia's Public Broadcaster was a Media Innovator". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
  7. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Public Broadcasting System Restructuring Act". Public Broadcasting Service of BiH. Archived from the original on 11 August 2004. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."BH TV 1". Public Broadcasting Service of BiH. Archived from the original on 3 August 2002. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Jedna taksa, tri servisa, bezbroj problema: Kako riješiti krizu javnog RTV sistema u BiH". Media.ba (in bosanski). 17 September 2025. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Financial crisis of Bosnia and Herzegovina's public broadcaster BHRT". European Parliament. 9 April 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Open letter: Bosnian public broadcaster BHRT in the final stage of collapse, EU must take swift action". European Federation of Journalists. 27 November 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  12. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."BHRT airs black screen today instead of its regular program, warns of imminent shutdown". N1. 26 February 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Između repriznog programa: Javni servisi kao taoci političkih interesa". Tačno.net (in bosanski). 5 June 2024. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Otvoreno pismo BHRT Miloradu Dodiku". Radio Sarajevo (in bosanski). 14 December 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
  15. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Sud donio hitnu mjeru: BHRT mora pustiti signal FTV-u, nastavak programa u 19:30". Klix.ba (in bosanski). 8 May 2024. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
  16. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Posljedice blokade procesa digitalizacije: Sinoć ugašen prvi predajnik". Klix.ba (in bosanski). 17 June 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
  17. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Historijski trenutak: Javni RTV servisi u BiH počeli emitiranje testnog digitalnog signala". Klix.ba (in bosanski). 14 October 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
  18. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Šta se desilo u Bosni i Hercegovini nakon gašenja analognog signala". BHRT (in bosanski). Retrieved 17 November 2025.
  19. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Forto: U Sarajevu, Mostaru i Banjoj Luci će do 1. jula biti pušten digitalni signal prema najnovijem standardu". Klix.ba (in bosanski). 4 June 2025. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
  20. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Most u digitalni 21. vijek: Na Vlašiću postavljen najveći antenski sistem u zemlji". Klix.ba (in bosanski). 12 September 2025. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
  21. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Čuvari arhivskog blaga BHRT-a". Media.ba (in bosanski). 9 April 2025. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
  22. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Blago koje nestaje. BHRT. 27 October 2024. Retrieved 17 November 2025 – via YouTube.

Template:European Broadcasting Union Members Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Authority control/config' not found.

Retrieved from "https://cosmopedia.co/index.php?title=Radio_and_Television_of_Bosnia_and_Herzegovina&oldid=1553754"