04/04/2007 - UNMIK Countdown -17 - Creating a Free and Sustainable Media in Kosovo

UNMIK/PR/1665

Wednesday, 04April 2007

Creating a free and sustainable media in Kosovo

PRISTINA – When UNMIK’s Institution-Building Pillar,the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, took up its mandate, the media landscape was not as developed and as pluralistic as it is now. For seven years, efforts of international stakeholders have sought to create and support free and professional media that would be both competitive and self-sustainable.

In 1999, the OSCE beganits efforts to help develop the media through establishment of thepublic service broadcaster, Radio Television Kosovo (RTK).

In absence of a legal framework, and with the number of both electronic and print media on the increase, the Office of the Temporary Media Commissioner (TMC) was established in 2000 with the mandate to develop media and ensure professional standards. It also had the responsibility to license and regulate television and radio stations throughout Kosovo. Currently there are 116 licensed broadcast media – 22 television stations (three Kosovo-wide) and 94 radio stations (four Kosovo-wide). In addition, the number of daily newspapers in Kosovo has reached ten.

As part of the process of transition to locally managed institutions, the TMC relinquished its authority in 2004.The power to license broadcast media was transferredto the Independent Media Commission, while authority over print mediawas transferred to the Press Council. Both of these institutions are up and running and have been fully transferred to local authorities. In addition, legal instruments which were lacking until recently – namely the defamation law (promulgated in 2007) and copyright law (2006) – are now available to the media and public.

Another task set to the OSCE was to ensure editorial independence and an environment for free and independent reporting. Media in Kosovo are relatively young, as are the schools of journalism. In order to bridge the existing gap between generations, numerous OSCE tailored trainings on investigative, political, economic and court reporting, and media management have been organized, with hundreds of journalists and media executives participating. Although challenges still remain, the OSCE together with international donors is in the last phase of establishing the Kosovo Media Institute, a mid-career training center for journalists.

Finally, in order to enable access to information for all communities, the OSCE has helped establish KOSMA - a network of five core Kosovo Serb radio stations, which work together and exchange programmes in the Serbian language. KOSMA has been operational for three years and reaches all areas inhabited by Kosovo Serbs.

Some useful websites with information on media development in Kosovo are: OSCE at IMC at and Press Council

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For further information, contact Public Information Officer Hanna Snarberg, E-mail: Tel: +381 (0)38 504 604 ext: 5790, Mob: +377 (0)44 151 858.