BH Journalists: Cable operators must not use monopoly position for blackmail and discrimination of media

(Patria) - The Association of BH Journalists is following with great concern the announcements by BH Telecom that from February 1st, they might exclude TV channels Hayat (group of channels), OBN, OTV Valentino and Izvorna TV if legal issues regarding exclusive signal distribution rights are not clarified.

BH Journalists emphasize that objective, transparent, and non-discriminatory relations between cable/telecom operators and media houses are the foundation for the quality functioning of the media market based on fair and equitable principles, respecting audience choices and citizens' rights to information pluralism.

They remind that the aforementioned TV channels have been an integral part of the BH Telecom platform offerings for years and are available to a significant number of viewers across Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"No operator shall, directly or indirectly, use its market position to blackmail, favor, or discriminate against media based on their editorial approaches or other non-journalistic criteria," state BH Journalists.

They particularly emphasize that discrimination against media on political, commercial, or similar grounds is unacceptable. Such actions undermine public trust in the media space and make it difficult for citizens to access diverse sources of information of general public interest, and further financially destabilize media.

"This is not the first time that certain TV stations have been placed in an unfavorable position by distributor decisions not based on audience interests, objective viewership criteria, or transparent contractual relationships, and that the rules of the Communications Regulatory Agency (RAK) on the operation of cable operators and distribution of media programs are not respected.

At the beginning of 2022, cable operator Telemach unilaterally moved the FTV program to position 55, only to return it to position 3 in 2025, while N1 TV was removed from the Moja TV platform, managed by BH Telecom, after the mutual contract ended on August 31, 2022.

Such practices further confirm the need for clearly defined and transparent rules for the distribution of media content, which must be consistently implemented in practice.

We call on BH Telecom and all relevant actors, primarily TV houses and RAK, to communicate openly, clarify legal disputes, and reach a solution through dialogue that will not be detrimental to media pluralism and the availability of information from various sources to all citizens throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Any decision on the availability of certain media content must be made in accordance with the law, ethical business practices, and the public interest, without pressure, favoritism towards anyone, and violation of the principles of media freedom and distribution of media content," the statement from the Association of BH Journalists reads.

In conclusion, they emphasize that they remain committed to protecting media freedoms, professional standards, and pluralism in the media space of Bosnia and Herzegovina.