Albanian Radio-Television (Radio Televizioni Shqiptar, RTSH) is the public service broadcaster of Albania. It was established during the interwar period with the founding of Radio Tirana. The television division of the station, known as TVSH, commenced operations in 1960. The broadcaster airs over 20 television and radio channels, including Radio Tirana International, which is aimed at international audiences.
Media assets
Television: RTSH 1, RTSH 2, RTSH 3, RTSH Shkollë, RTSH Film, RTSH Muzikë, RTSH Shqip, RTSH Fëmijë, RTSH Sport, RTSH Plus, RTSH 24, RTSH Agro, RTSH Kuvënd, RTSH Gjirokastra, RTSH Korça, RTSH Kukësi, RTSH Shkodra
Radio: National- Radio Tirana, Radio Tirana 2, Radio Tirana 3, Radio Tirana International, Radio Tirana Klasik, Radio Tirana Jazz, Radio Tirana Fëmijë; Regional- RTSH Gjirokastra, RTSH Korça, RTSH Kukësi, RTSH Shkodra
State Media Matrix Typology: Captured Public/State-Managed (CaPu)
Ownership and governance
RTSH is registered as a non-profit public entity under the control of the Albanian Parliament. It is governed by the Law on Audiovisual Media, which created the legal basis for RTSH’s highest governing body, the Steering Committee.
While the law allows civil society organizations, academia, and professional associations to nominate candidates to the Committee, the final decision in appointing its members lies with the Parliament. As a result, the Steering Committee largely reflects the political power divisions in parliament rather than representing the preferences of civil society.
Additionally, civil society groups are often criticized for selecting candidates based on their own political leanings. Consequently, the decisions of the Committee are generally influenced by politics, according to local experts.
Source of funding and budget
RTSH is funded through revenues raised from a license fee, which is mandatory for all homes in Albania and is paid along with the electricity bill. In 2019, the license fee revenues accounted for approximately 56% of the broadcaster’s total budget, while state funding accounted for around 30%. RTSH generated the remaining funding through commercial activities, such as advertising, renting antenna transmission facilities, and providing broadcast services for third parties.
According to a financial report from the company, RTSH had a total budget of ALL 2.2bn (US$18.6 m) in 2021. Revenue from license fees accounted for nearly 65% of that.
In 2023, RTSH had a budget of ALL 2.1bn (US$ 22.7m), according to a media article citing an annual report the broadcaster presented to parliament. The license fee revenue accounted for 60% of the budget. The government also allocated a state subsidy of ALL 618m, nearly 30% of the total budget. In 2023, RTSH’s ad sales tumbled by 67% to around ALL 72m. In 2023, the license fee per household was ALL 100 (US$ 1.07) a month.
Editorial independence
RTSH has a long history as a government propaganda channel for Albania’s communist regime. After 1990, the broadcaster struggled to implement reforms to transform the outlet into an independent public media institution. However, for many years, the broadcaster continued to be seen as a political tool in the hands of the government.
In recent years, the editorial coverage of RTSH has significantly improved, and there has been notable progress in its independence. Remzi Lani, director of the Albanian Media Institute (AMI), a local think tank, mentioned that there has been a definite change compared to previous years when the content mainly focused on reporting government protocol. According to the IREX Media Sustainability Index, based on research conducted by a U.S.-based NGO, “public broadcasters in Albania do not cater to the government and allow access to opposition viewpoints. Journalists working for these outlets do not enjoy privileged access to events or officials.”
In 2023, several events indicated that the broadcaster had lost its editorial independence after a new management was appointed. In June 2023, Alfred Peza, a former MP of the ruling Socialist Party, became the director of RTSH. This move raised concerns about political influence. According to a local association of journalists, Peza fired 10 journalists right after taking charge. The dismissals were seen as arbitrary by journalists in the country. Ricardo Gutierrez of the European Federation of Journalists, a media freedom NGO, expressed alarm over the firings.
These developments prompted us to reclassify RTSH to an inferior category in our State Media Matrix Typology in 2023.
Despite waves of criticism, the accusations of politicization continued in 2024, with RTSH management further firing and hiring journalists on political grounds.
RTSH’s operations are governed by a statute that defines its role, mission, type of operation, and independence. The statute was frequently violated in the past, as political interference with the station’s editorial stance was common.
RTSH has a body named the Council of Viewers and Listeners that is in charge of monitoring the station’s programming, conducting surveys to understand how people perceive RTSH’s programs, giving RTSH’s management feedback on the station’s programs, and compiling an annual report summarizing its conclusions regarding how RTSH performed editorially.
August 2024