OSCE Presence, EBU organize strategic workshop on Albania’s public broadcaster

The OSCE Presence in Albania, in close co-operation with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), organized on 15 September 2016 a strategic workshop of the Steering Board and senior management of Albanian Public Radio and Television (RTSH), to share ideas on transforming the RTSH into a true public service broadcaster.

Boris Bergant, a senior EBU consultant, informed the participants about the best practices in developing trust and clear responsibilities, and in ensuring understanding of the new managing structures in place. He also presented governing principles for public service media. “There is no model of a successful public broadcaster to be copied. You have to choose your own way. We are here to assist improvement and help whenever you need it,” Bergant said.

Thoma Gëllçi, Director General of RTSH, said that the public broadcaster  started improving its work by drafting editorial guidelines and setting up a working group on the new statute. Gëllçi also emphasized the necessity for legislative changes to make the public broadcaster more independent in its decision-making.

The workshop was part of the OSCE Presence’s efforts to help RTSH’s transformation into an editorially independent, professional, sustainable and accountable public service broadcaster. In June 2015, the Presence, the EBU and RTSH signed a Memorandum of Understanding on joint activities aimed to support the process of transformation.