In support of an ongoing transformation of the national public service broadcaster - Radio Television Montenegro (RTCG), the OSCE Mission to Montenegro supported the development of the RTCG's Development Strategy and Digital Transformation Strategy for the period 2023-2027, presented on 5 May in Podgorica.
The Development Strategy lays a five-year foundation for RTCG to preserve the fundamental principles of public service media, its reliability and pluralism, while looking for an increased audience. The Digital Transformation Strategy aims to increase RTCG's internal communication efficiency and facilitate its external accountability.
Speaking at the event, attended by decision-makers, representatives of Montenegrin and international institutions, and civil society, Dominique Waag, Head of Mission, said that while supporting RTCG in drafting the two strategies, the OSCE Mission focused on RTCG's transformation into a contemporary and attractive public service broadcaster.
"OSCE principles recognize that independent and pluralistic media are critical in enabling and sustaining democratic societies. Governments should ensure that Public Service Media are politically, editorially, and financially independent to build a well-informed and engaged citizenry, fight unverified information, and make public institutions accountable. As a national public broadcaster, RTCG has a unique and vital role as a source of information aligning with the public interest," said Ambassador Waag. She recalled the importance of investigative journalism and added that RTCG has to be a service of diverse content in observation of high quality and ethical standards and a factor of social cohesion and integration while giving a voice to everyone.
Boris Raonić, RTCG General Director, stated that RTCG has recognized that the media scene has undergone a transformation. "The way citizens look for information has changed dramatically. The digital age, in which Montenegro is late, is on the scene, but I am happy that we are ready for the challenge. Next year we celebrate 80 years of existence. We have been a companion for the citizens of our country for so long, we are part of the routine and witnesses of the most important and historical events. We will inject energy into a public service that is ready to tackle all challenges," said Raonić, thanking for the Mission's support in the development of the strategies.
The Mission engaged two external consultants, Professor Mirjana Nikolić and Dragana Janinović, who, together with RTCG, worked to develop Development and Digital Transformation Strategies for Montenegro's national public broadcaster.
In 2022, the Mission supported RTCG's journalists through training sessions and provision of technical equipment for their work, but also commissioned two opinion polls to help RTCG strengthen its brand and programming. OSCE will continue to support RTCG's transformation into a contemporary public service broadcaster.
