Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG) is Montenegro’s public service media organization. It comprises Radio Montenegro (RCG) and Montenegro Television (TVCG). The broadcaster operates three television channels and two radio channels.
Media assets
Television: TVCG 1, TVCG 2, TVCG SAT
Radio: RCG, Radio 98
State Media Matrix Typology: Independent State Funded and State Managed (ISFM)
Ownership and governance
RTCG is a state-owned corporation. Its highest governing body is the Council, which consists of nine members. These members are required to be experts nominated by NGOs and appointed by Parliament.
The RTCG Council is responsible for appointing the broadcaster’s director general. This appointment process was established to safeguard the station’s independence as it is believed that, by empowering NGOs to recommend experts, the government’s influence over the station’s governing body would diminish. However, local experts and journalists in Montenegro interviewed for this report in May 2023 and June 2024 have indicated that in the past five years, some of the NGOs that nominate members to the RTCG Council may be influenced by the government, as they receive state funding to support their own activities.
In June 2023, despite a ruling from the country’s Higher Court stating that Boris Raonic was illegally appointed as the director of RTCG due to a conflict of interest (as he is also a member of Montenegro’s media regulator), the RTCG Council re-elected him as the station’s director. The court ordered the RTCG Council to choose another candidate, but their decision was completely ignored.
Source of funding and budget
RTCG is funded through a combination of state funding and revenues from advertising sales. According to the station’s annual report in 2022, RTCG had a budget of €20.1m, with more than 90% of the funding coming from the state budget. This makes it the largest budget for a media outlet in Montenegro. In 2024, RTCG received a state allocation of €18.7m, a slight increase compared to the year before, according to data offered by the broadcaster.
Editorial independence
Despite legal provisions aimed at ensuring its editorial independence, RTCG has historically faced significant pressure. The government exerts control over the station’s editorial coverage, primarily by influencing the RTCG Council. Whenever there is a change in political power, the newly elected government seeks to control the broadcaster. The European Commission has also expressed concerns about RTCG’s editorial independence in the past.
In recent years, however, RTCG has improved its editorial independence under pressure from the European Union (EU) as part of Montenegro’s EU membership process. The European Commission commended the Montenegrin public broadcaster for pursuing a balanced editorial policy and its politically diverse content in the 2022 report on the country’s progress towards EU membership.
Therefore, in 2023, based on the EU’s judgment, we have elevated the RTCG to an independent category in the State Media Matrix taxonomy. The EU stood by the same assessment in its 2023 report on Montenegro.
The Law on the National Public Broadcaster is the primary legal instrument aimed at safeguarding RTCG’s independence. According to the law, RTCG is supposed to create its programming free from external interference. Additionally, the law mandates that RTCG journalists work in the public interest.
However, these regulations have not been upheld in practice. In recent years, the government has exerted influence over RTCG’s editorial coverage, mainly through the broadcaster’s Council members.
RTCG offers a mechanism for public consultation on programming-related issues. The results of these consultations are published on the station’s website.
The station also has an Ombudsman office that makes recommendations to RTCG’s management. In theory, this office aims to protect the interests of both viewers and journalists working with RTCG. The RTCG Council appoints the Ombudsman through a public competition.
August 2024