BHRT Board of Directors meets: Situation alarming, urgent solution needed

(Patria) - The BHRT Board of Directors held an emergency session yesterday due to the dire situation at BHRT and considered a series of information related to daily meetings and communication with relevant authorities with the aim of resolving the financial situation.

The Board of Directors thanks everyone, from relevant institutions to authorities, who have become involved in resolving the problems of the broadcaster covering the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The situation at BHRT is alarming and, despite the measures taken by both management and the Board of Directors, the problems are not being resolved due to non-compliance with the law by others towards BHRT. In talks with management, the competent and relevant institutions have offered certain solutions, which gives hope for the survival of BHRT.

"We thank the general public in BiH, which has recognized the seriousness of the situation in which BHRT finds itself and has provided support to the efforts of management and all BHRT employees to emerge from this agony caused by the failure to sign the contract on collecting the RTV fee with JP EP BiH due to obstructions by RTV FBiH," the Board's statement reads.

Great support for BHRT, as a public service covering the whole of BiH, has been provided by numerous international organizations and embassies of European Union member states accredited in BiH. However, the problem has not yet been resolved. The public is aware that the collection of the RTV fee through the Elektroprivreda BiH bills ceased on December 31 last year and that this public service has been left without its basic income. In this regard, the Board of Directors appeals to the authorities to find a solution as soon as possible so that BHRT can perform its function. Otherwise, not by BHRT's will, a media blackout will follow.

"The Board of Directors supports the efforts of management, which insists that the new contract with Elektroprivreda achieve a legal and fair way of distributing RTV fee revenues in favor of BHRT and that the search continue for a final solution that will ensure stable financing and a secure existence for all employees of this broadcasting house," the statement from the BHRT Board of Directors reads.