OSCE helps find sustainable funding model for Montenegrin public broadcaster

PODGORICA 21 October, 2014 – The financial sustainability of the Public Broadcasting Service, Radio-Television Montenegro (PBS RTCG), and its preparation to digital switch-over were in focus of a seminar organized today by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in co-operation with the European Broadcasting Union and RTCG.

“Public Service Broadcasting is crucial in providing citizens with public information based on reliable sources, objective news reporting and high quality programmes and the Mission is ready to support that goal,” said Ambassador Janina Hrebickova, Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro.

Representatives of Montenegrin government, parliament, relevant media institutions, the management of the Public Service Broadcasting and its supervisory board, civil society, media and diplomatic community discussed RTCG’s reform challenges, the importance of responsible and objective reporting, capacity-building and improvements in technology.

Radoje Žugić, Finance Minister of Montenegro, said that the Government of Montenegro is committed to finding a solution for RTCG funding as well as its digitalization that needs to be completed by June 2015 – deadline for digital switch-over in Europe. “We are currently considering introducing legal amendments that will allow for more sustainable funding model for the public broadcaster”, said Žugić.