Public Broadcasting Service Macedonian Radio Television (PBS MRT)
Macedonian Radio Television (Makedonska radio-televizija, MRT) is the public broadcaster in North Macedonia. The company was founded by the Macedonian Parliament in 1993. It officially changed its name to Public Broadcasting Service Macedonian Radio Television (PBS MRT) in 2019.
Media assets
Television: MRT 1, MRT 2, MRT 3, MRT 4, MRT 5, MRT Sobraniski Kanal, MRT 1 Sat, MRT 2 Sat
Radio: MR 1, MR 2, MR 3, MR Sat
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
The Republic of North Macedonia founded MRT and operates it as a public enterprise under the Law on Audio and Audio-Visual Media Services (LAAMS). The primary governing body is the Program Council, consisting of 13 members appointed by Parliament, based on nominations from legally authorized institutions, with a two-thirds majority required. Civil society organizations are involved in proposing candidates to mitigate government control, but independent journalists and CSOs have criticized the council in recent years for failing to meet legal requirements and showing political bias.
PBS MRT, as the company became known since 2019, also has a Supervisory Board, consisting of seven members chosen by the Program Council through an open competition. The Director-General is also selected by the Program Council via open competition.
Marjan Cvetkovski remains the Director-General (sometimes referred to as Executive Director) of PBS MRT, serving in that position since around 2012. His mandate has technically expired, but due to the blockade in Parliament preventing formation of a new Program Council since 2020, he remains in office.
Source of funding and budget
Historically, MRT relied on a monthly license fee of €3, but collection difficulties led to a funding model shift in 2018, directing state subsidy equal to about 0.8%–1.0% of the general budget (average €25 million annually). In July 2023, Article 105 of LAAMS was amended to guarantee PBS MRT funding equal to 1% of state tax revenues, but the measure’s impact has been undermined by the absence of multi-year planning, government discretion over development funds, and the government’s failure to apply the new formula by the end of 2023.
In 2023, PBS MRT operated with a total budget of MKD 1.14 billion (approx. US $21.4 million), nearly 90% of which was state funding, according to a report from the broadcaster.
Editorial independence
Although the LAAMS, MRT’s Statute, and its Code of Ethics define programming obligations, none guarantee editorial independence. Despite reforms, PBS MRT continues to face criticism for political bias, especially around elections. International bodies frequently condemn its election coverage.
The Code of Ethics adopted in 2017 applies to all MRT employees. It has been criticized for conflating journalistic ethics with work discipline. The Ethics Commission overseeing complaints has reportedly received no submissions. In 2021, the Association of Journalists of Macedonia requested amendments to the Code and operational transparency of the Commission, but MRT did not act during 2023.
A broader study of the media sector underscores systemic issues: the poor media market, disinformation, dependence on state funds, and weakened trust in institutions undermine media development, with MRT emblematic of those challenges.
September 2025