EBU: “Urgent action needed to keep BHRT on air”
September 23, 2026



The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) says it is “deeply alarmed” that BHRT, the national public service broadcaster of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is on the brink of collapse.

BHRT has been unable to pay its staff and its suppliers and can thus no longer operate normally. Two programmes have already been dropped for lack of funds, and its ability to report from across the country is being increasingly constrained. “More than 750 journalists, producers, technicians and other staff face losing their jobs in a crisis they did not create,” states the EBU.


This comes just before the General Elections on October 4th. “Citizens need access to independent, impartial information: reliable coverage of the vote, scrutiny of candidates and reporting from every part of the country. BHRT has an essential role in providing this service at a national level,” continued the EBU.

“The collapse of BHRT would mean far more than the loss of one broadcaster. It would leave Bosnia and Herzegovina without national public service media at a sensitive moment for its democracy. It would also weaken the wider public broadcasting system and citizens’ right to reliable information.”

“We call on the Parliamentary Assembly and Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and all other competent authorities, to:

take immediate action to ensure BHRT can continue to operate
implement existing legislation and final court decisions on public service media funding
agree a stable, adequate and independent funding model that ends these recurring crises.
The EBU stands with BHRT and its staff. We’ll keep raising this with European institutions and partners until BHRT’s future is secure.” concluded an EBU statement.