BHRT employees will hold a protest today in front of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly building due to, as they stated, years of ignoring legal obligations, failure to implement the Law on the Public Broadcasting System of BiH and the systemic collapse of the only public media service at the state level.
At the same time, and from the same location, BHT1 and BH Radio 1 will broadcast a multi-hour special program “Don’t Shut Down BHRT”, entirely dedicated to the crisis in the public service, its causes and consequences for the citizens of BiH.
The boards of BHT1 and BH Radio 1 previously sent a joint statement to the most important state institutions, representatives of the international community and the citizens of BiH, in which they warned that BHRT is in the “last phase of collapse” because the laws that the Parliament itself passed are not being implemented.
“For years, you have tolerated the violation of the Law on the Public Broadcasting System of BiH by Radio Television of Republika Srpska, whose debts to BHRT have exceeded 100 million BAM. Today, this debt represents an existential threat to the survival of BHRT.”
Lack of financial resources, outdated and dysfunctional equipment, limited field trips, delays or inability to plan the implementation of program projects, and the departure of quality staff from home are problems that have long threatened the basic function of the public service, to inform and serve citizens.
Despite all of the above, BHRT continues to stand by the citizens of BiH and tries to fulfill its mission.
If the ultimate goal of weakening and collapsing BHRT is a country without a public media service and independent journalism, then it would be fair to inform the citizens of BiH about this – stated in the letter from the program and editorial boards of BHT1 and BHradio1.
They called on citizens, friends of BHRT, fellow journalists, and civil society organizations to join a peaceful protest today at 10:00, in front of the BiH Parliament building, in, as they pointed out, a joint fight for the survival of one of the most important and longest-standing institutions of the state of BiH.
They noted that politicians were not invited because they consider them the most responsible for the situation they find themselves in.
The BHRT statement, among other things, stated that on the day of the protest, BHT1 and BH Radio 1 will completely change their programming.
Thus, from 10:00, they will broadcast a multi-hour live program from the protest, divided into several thematic units.
In the prime-time slot, after Dnevnik 2, a rerun of the most important parts of the protest and a special program will be broadcast.
They reminded that BHRT is one of the oldest state public service broadcasters in the region, with an 80-year tradition. Its closure would mean that BiH becomes the only country in Europe without a public RTV service.
“We will not quietly observe the destruction of an institution that belongs to the citizens of BiH. This is a joint fight, for the public interest, for the right to the truth and for the future of independent journalism,” BHRT said.
