OSCE Mission Head calls for long-term financing solution for public broadcaster, greater access to public documents in Kosovo

PRISHTINË/PRIŠTINA, 2 May 2014 – Ahead of the World Press Freedom Day marked on 3 May, the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Jean-Claude Schlumberger, called on central level institutions to identify a long-term solution for the financing of the Kosovo’s only public broadcaster, the Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK), and urged them to ensure unhindered access to public documents for journalists.

“The lack of long-term financing solution for the RTK is threatening to impede its editorial independence and to interfere with its duty to inform, educate and entertain public in a professional, ethical and unbiased manner,” said Schlumberger.

“Finding such a solution for the RTK should be placed high on the political and public agenda,” Schlumberger said. “The legal deadline for central institutions to identify such a solution has expired more than a year and a half ago, and current legal transitional financing provisions are valid only until May next year.”

”It is commendable that under the current circumstances the RTK has managed to develop three additional channels and to increase the quality of its services for all communities living in Kosovo, and I encourage RTK to engage itself as much as possible in the process of finding ways to preserve its financial independence.”

In addition, Schlumberger urged local and central level institutions to grant journalists, civil society organizations, and individual members of the public a full access to public documents in compliance with the legal framework. This would help increase institutional transparency and accountability, he said.

To boost public debate about the freedom of the media and freedom of expression, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo is supporting production of five televised debates. A debate on the freedom of expression on the Internet aired on the RTK 2 on 29 April. TV Dukagjini, TV Besa and TV Tema will air their debates tonight, while KTV’s Rubikon program analyzing freedom of the media issues in Kosovo will air on 6 May.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is mandated with human and community rights protection and promotion, democratization and public safety sector development.