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Developing Independent Media as an Institution of Accountable Governance
Case Study: Independent Television in Kosovo In 1999, after the withdrawal of Serbian forces, Kosovo faced a dearth of independent media. Few Albanian language media existed, the broadcast infrastructure was heavily damaged, and the province was a UN protectorate. To address this situation, IREX and USAID, working in close partnership with the Open Society Institute (OSI), began a program to support the establishment of two independent television stations (RTV21 and KTV) to broadcast to all of Kosovo and provide its citizens with news and information. The stations had little equipment for studios, news gathering, or transmission. And they had little experience with independent television, coming from print, radio, or the former Pristina TV, a branch of the Yugoslav state broadcaster. By 2008, RTV-21 and KTV had reached financial viability, split 50 percent of the audience between them, and were considered leaders in news and public affairs programming. They were in healthy competition with the state subsidized public broadcaster, RTK. These three stations complemented a group of regional stations serving local areas as well as a vibrant radio market. The new stations weathered the international economic downturn and continue today as sustainable and professional television operations What were the elements of support that made this success possible? • IREX, USAID, and OSI worked in close coordination. Work plans and funding were shared and plans for support developed in concert. • OSI and USAID committed to provide multiyear operational and equipment support to the stations, provided they agreed to develop a long-term strategic plan to become sustainable. • IREX—with the support of OSI and in coordination with the stations themselves—developed a “whole station” approach that included the following: ° Long-term management training and mentoring. IREX committed to work collegially with both stations to improve their management through consulting and mentoring. ° Development of financial management and accounting systems to international standards, so station management would have a complete picture of revenue and expense flows. ° Audience research. Regular audience research and training in the use of research allowed both stations to understand their