In the World Radio Day, experts discussed about the concerning issues and the future of radios in Kosovo (Video)
15/02/2019The World Radio Day assembled together a large number of experts and experienced journalists, who discussed about the history, transforming processes, actual challenges and the future of radio in Kosovo. The whole range of concerning issues were discussed and closely elaborated in the conference “The Past and the Future of Radio in Kosovo”, organized by the Institute of Media in Kosovo and UBT.
On behalf of UBT, the Rector of this institution prof. dr Edmond Hajrizi highlighted the importance of transforming processes that Radio as a media has undergone during the recent years. He underlined that Radio continues to be really close to the public.
“Radio has been subject to significant changes, and taking into consideration the latest tendencies regarding the utilization of Radio, I think that nowadays Radio should primarily focus its attention in two main pillars, building peace and tolerance.” – said Hajrizi.
The Head of the Media Institute of Kosovo Fazli Veliu mentioned some of the obstacles and difficulties that media is coping with during the last decade.
“Radio in Kosovo is coping many difficulties and the situation has been worsening due to malfunctioning of local Radios in Kosovo. To make the matter worse, there has been imposed an annual tax of 360 euros which has to be paid by the all the Radios in Kosovo. This is an unacceptable situation so I appeal to the government respectively to the Independent Council of Media to omit this tax which is actually a heavy financial burden for Radios.” – stated Veliu.
The expert of electronic media, Shaban Arifaj pointed out that even though it is experiencing obstacles Radio continues to be the main source of information and entertainment.
“It has been expected that after 70-ies, there has been witnessed an intensifying of television programs, which resulted in the diminishing of non-visual media, a process which mainly affected Radio. Anyway, Radio continues to be one of the main sources of information.” -said Arifaj.
The former head of the ICM, Adnan Merovci has discussed about the overall positioning of Radio in Kosovo and explained the reasons of imposing an annual tax to local Radios in Kosovo.
“The license tax is a legal matter, because the law foresees this tax. State interest is not in this tax, but is in the information. Here is also the wealth, value and profit, so there should be a tax.” – stated Merovci.
The owner and journalist of Radio of Malisheva, Habib Zogaj has revealed his personal experience, by being initially employed in as a correspondent in Radio Evropa e Lirë and thereafter as a founder of the local Radio headed by him.
“When all the media were in the hands of the conqueror and they were all closed, Radio Evropa e Lirë continued to work, but with many difficulties and by changing its location every year.” – underlined Zogaj.
The conference was closed with an open discussion with the audience, who tackled concerning issues which Radios in Kosovo currently are facing, but also provided some solutions on how to fix current problems, so that they do not remain so in the future.