Radio Television of Kosovo



Radio Television of Kosovo (Radio Televizioni i Kosovës, Serbian: Радио Телевизија Косова, transliterated, Radio Televizija Kosova) is the public service broadcaster in Kosovo.

It consists of the television service, broadcast on the terrestrial transmitter network and digital satellite, and two Radio stations, Radio Kosovo and Radio Blue Sky. RTK operates under UNMIK Regulation 2001/13 as a self-managing organization led by a General Director who is answerable to a non-political Board of Directors.

1999
UNMIK/OSCE invites the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to set up and manage an independent public broadcaster in Kosovo under an MOU with the OSCE. In September 1999 RTK begins transmitting emergency 2-hours a day television service on analogue satellite. October 1999 OSCE transfers the resurrected public radio station Radio Prishtina to RTK. It is re-launched as Radio Kosovo.

2000
The UN radio station Radio Blue Sky becomes part of RTK. Blue Sky is a multi-ethnic station targeting the younger audience. October 2000 technical facilities in television and radio are extensively updated, thanks to a substantial donation from the Government of Japan. In the November 2000 RTK television begins programmed expansion and increases to four hours daily: A weekly news magazine in Serbian is launched, to complement the daily Serbian news. News in Turkish and a weekly Turkish news magazine started.Radio and television begin broadcasting on the new Kosovo Terrestrial Transmission Network.

2001
UNMIK Broadcasting Regulation 2001/13 formally establishes RTK as an independent public service broadcaster with a non-political Board of Directors. The two radio stations begin live audio streaming on their websites to reach a world-wide audience. In July 2001 RTK television increases output to seven hours daily. New programmers include a weekly farming programme, a weekly business magazine and a weekly information programme for the Diaspora. Daily news in Bosnian is introduced. Television transfers from analogue to digital satellite. In September 2001 the Board of Directors is constituted and elects Adem Demaci as Chairman. December 2001 the EBU’s mandate to manage RTK ends. Agim Zatriqi is appointed the first locally-appointed Director General. RTK receives one-year bridging funding from the Kosovo Consolidated Budget, pending the introduction of a public license fee in 2003.

2002
Television increases to fifteen hours daily on terrestrial and satellite. 65% of programming is locally-produced and 35% acquired from foreign broadcasters or production houses. In the January of this month RTK opens its correspondent office in Tirana. In the April starts Morning programme. In the June RTK launches weekly news magazine in Bosnian language ”Most”. In July is launched RTK website rtklive.com. The first postwar Kosovo serial “Modern family started on October. Meanwhile this year for the firs time RTK gives two awards, “Drita Germizaj” award for the best news moderator, and “Rudolf Sopi” award for the best cameramen.

2003
In the beginning of the year was signed Agreement for Cooperation between RTK and EBU. February, respectively march RTK launched campaign for the license fee “Res Publica”. The same month started from work Educative Program. On may RTK launched news bulletin “Info”. The end of the may Center for humanistic studies “Gani Bobi”, carried a survey of audience. Second this survey RTK is most watched television in Kosovo. June, SRSG Michael Steiner, signed UNMIK Administrative Directive on the implementation of license fee about RTK. Another important story for RTK this month, creation of “Big Band”. Auditors report for the closing year 2002 was accomplished by corporate “Deloitte & Touche” on 27 June. September RTK started with another minority language, weekly news magazine in Roma “Yekhipe”. On 15 November RTK opens correspondent office in Tetovo. On December 22 RTK will launch 24 hours programme schedule.

2009
In March 2009, RTK's public relations manager, Bukurije Gjonbalaj signed a renewal of the service agreement, under the supervision of EBU's director general, Jean Réeillon. This gave additional underlining of the EBU's continual commitment to the broadcasting service in the region of Kosovo. RTK is now able to broadcast via terrestrial and satellite networks, which also include two radio stations.

Audiences
RTK television is the market leader and is watched by 92.1% of the population. For the objectivity RTK leads with 73.0%. RTK's main evening news has a 74% share of all television viewing at 7.30pm. In a territory with a high percentage of young people it is important that the public broadcaster appeals to the young as well as the more mature audience and opinion formers.

Radio also performs well in a competitive market. Of the 85 radio stations in Kosovo, Radio Kosova has the second highest audience with 13% of the population listening each day. Radio Blue Sky targets a narrower youth market but is still the fifth most listened to station with 3.7% daily reach.

Minorities
26% of daily news programming on television is in minority languages: Serbian, Turkish, Bosnian and Roma. There are Serbian, Bosnian, Turkish and Roma weekly news magazines.

News

 * Vesti in Serbian with Snežana Qorraj
 * Vijesti in Bosnian with Dževahira Koljenović or Sanela Bilalović
 * Haber in Turkish with Fatma Hoca or Feride Zeynullah

Magazines

 * Nedeljni kolaž in Serbian, with Nenad Radomirović and Jelena Djurdjić
 * Mostovi in Bosnian, with Nadira Vllasi
 * Mozaik in Turkish with Fatma Hoca
 * Yekhipe in Romani with Daut Qulanji or Drita Berisha-Salijević

For the first time in his history RTK appointed executive producer for the minority programmes. Producer Sylejman Shaqiri is in charge for the programmes in the minority languages.

In its live coverage of the Assembly of Kosovo, RTK is the only television station that does not translate non-Albanian speakers. RTK ’s policy is that journalists on all language news desks work together in the television and radio newsrooms, sharing information and facilities.

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