Bosnian public broadcaster forced off air as bank accounts remain frozen

The broadcaster has continued operations without funds or remuneration, relying entirely on the goodwill of its staff.

“All those in power are, through their inaction and neglect, extinguishing the Public RTV Service of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in doing so, extinguishing the state itself. We will carry out our duties honourably and professionally in the public interest for as long as we are able,” BHRT stated.

Following six seasons of broadcasting, thousands of hours of live output, and hundreds of studio guests, the station announced it can no longer broadcast its flagship live programme, BHT1 Live.

“I must say that all of us at Television Bosnia and Herzegovina are deeply saddened today, particularly within the news division of BHT1, to be forced into taking such radical action and removing one of our most-watched programmes from the air. The reason is simple: we no longer have the capacity to deploy field teams across Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is not our fault. Responsibility lies with political leaders and relevant authorities who have ignored the pleas coming from RTV Dom for months and years,” said Dejan Petrovic, editor of the news division.

Representatives added that the fight to preserve the public service broadcaster is not merely about protecting jobs, but about safeguarding a society tumbling towards a dangerous precipice.