Our Slovenian Member RTVSLO has played host to six Western Balkan broadcasters to share their experience and learnings on PSM funding and governance.

Public service media managers and representatives of parliament, the civil sector and regulatory authorities from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia met with RTVSLO to hear more about their current licence fee funding model. Funding via the licence fee helps protect the institutional and editorial independence of RTVSLO.

Director General of RTVSLO Igor Kadunc also presented the strategic goals of RTVSLO and shared their most recent audience research on how they have built public trust in the broadcaster.

Participants engaged in detailed discussions about audience measurement, governance and funding models, the institution of the Ombudsperson, public diplomacy and how to attract younger audiences.

The meeting was followed by a one-day assessment reviewing implementation of the Project for Technical Assistance to PSM in the Western Balkans.

The project is led by a Consortium of partners including the EBU, IFJ, EFJ, ERNO, BIRN and ORF. All stakeholders felt the project was developing well. Representatives of parliaments, regulatory authorities, civil sector and PSM managing and governing bodies have strongly supported the project and are keen to see it continue. Representatives of the European Commission will now discuss the proposals from the stakeholders for continuation of the project beyond its current two-year mandate.

Director of Member Relations and Communications, Vanessa O'Connor, emphasized the significance of the project and the importance of providing assistance in key areas to our Members in the Western Balkans as they adapt to fast-changing markets.