The EBU has expressed its concern about the dismissal of the DG of the Montenegrin public broadcaster RTCG and the implications it has for its independence.
The EBU’s DG Noel Curran said: “Independence and freedom of expression are fundamental tenants of public service broadcasting and essential to the healthy functioning of democracies.
“We hope that RTCG will be allowed to function free from political control and influence to best meet the needs of all Montenegrin citizens.”
According to the EBU, it believes that constant changes in the governance and management of public service media (PSM) create an atmosphere of fear, uncertainty and instability and encourage a culture of self-censorship, which endangers the ability of PSM to fulfil its remit to society. The EBU raised concerns late last year about changes at the Supervisory Council of RTCG that had the potential to hamper its important work.
It adds that independence is one of PSM’s core values, unanimously adopted by all EBU Members in Strasbourg in 2012. It is also a core principle for the functioning of democratic institution as stipulated in various Council of Europe documents and, in particular, in CoE CM Recommendation No. R (96) on the independence of Public Service Broadcasting.
The EBU has been providing long-term strategic, professional and legal assistance to RTCG and its programme of reform and believes it has been making progress in fulfilling its aims to inform, educate and entertain all segments of society in line with European standards and best practices.
AS previously reported by Broadband TV News, RCTG’s DG Andrijana Kadija was sacked last week after having only been in the position since April 2017.
