BHRT — Radio-televizija Bosne i Hercegovine

What is BHRT?

BHRT is the state-level public broadcaster of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Law on the Public Radio-Television System, Zakon o Javnom radiotelevizijskom sistemu Bosne i Hercegovine, lists it first among the system's parts: “Radio-televizija Bosne i Hercegovine (u daljnjem tekstu: BHRT) kao Javni RTV servis Bosne i Hercegovine”. The same Article 3 lists the two entity broadcasters, RTFBiH and RTRS, and a “Korporacija javnih RTV servisa BiH”.^[1]

Article 1 of that law states: “Ovim zakonom uređuju se Javni radiotelevizijski sistem u Bosni i Hercegovini (u daljnjem tekstu: JRTS Bosne i Hercegovine) i odnosi tri javna RTV servisa i zajedničkog pravnog subjekta unutar tog sistema, kao i njegova djelatnost i organizacija.”^[1] The text read is the Parliamentary Assembly's unofficial consolidated text. BHRT's own statute is cited in the Official Gazette as the Zakon o Javnom radiotelevizijskom servisu Bosne i Hercegovine, “Službeni glasnik BiH”, br. 92/05 i 32/10;^[9] its text was not retrieved, so this entry rests on the system law.

The European Broadcasting Union lists “Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina” (BHRT) among its members for the country.^[2] BHRT's television channel is BHT1, the name its advertising tariff uses throughout.^[3] BHRT's own site, bhrt.ba, serves its content only with scripts.

What does BHRT cover?

The system law names sport in the programme remit of all three broadcasters. Article 26 provides: “Program javnih RTV servisa uključuje informacije, kulturu, obrazovanje, zabavu i sport.” Article 5 sets their basic task as informing the public about events that include “sportskim i drugim događajima”.^[1]

BHRT's tariff for BHT1, valid from 1 January 2026, sets four sport categories. The first covers “specijalni sportski prijenosi”. The second covers “utakmice reprezentacije BiH u košarci i rukometu, U-21 utakmice BiH reprezentacije u nogometu/fudbalu, međunarodne utakmice bh timova”. The third covers “utakmice domaćih prvenstava, skijanje i ostali sportovi”, and the fourth “Specijalizovane sportske emisije BHT i ostali sportovi”.^[3]

The tariff sets apart “Utakmice reprezentacije BiH u fudbalu, Evropska i Svjetska prvenstva, Olimpijske igre i sl.”, which it prices through special offers.^[3] It gives no rights terms or end dates for any of them, and none is asserted here.

On 23 September 2026 N1 reported that, according to UEFA's information, the national football team's UEFA Nations League matches were to be shown on BHT1 and on MyTV. It added: “kada je riječ o BHT1, još postoji određena neizvjesnost”.^[4] N1 gave the first of those matches as against Poland in Warsaw; it had not been played on the build date.^[4]

How large is BHRT's audience?

The Media Ownership Monitor Bosnia and Herzegovina 2023, run by BIRN Bosnia and Herzegovina, cites as its television data “Television Audience Measurement, Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.3.2022. - 31.3.2023”. It states that “The TV market in Bosnia and Herzegovina is highly concentrated as the 4 major owners reach the audience share of 58%.” It names Nova BH, BN TV, OBN and FTV as the four.^[5] It gives no share for BHT1.

The monitor explains that the shares were “recalculated based on the fact that the top 10 television stations would represent 100% of the informative market”, and that the top ten together held 46.91 per cent of the overall market. Those are the monitor's figures, three years old on the build date. BHRT's tariff publishes no audience figure.^[5][3]

Since when has BHRT existed?

The system law under which BHRT is described here was published in “Službeni glasnik BiH”, broj 78/05. The consolidated text read also incorporates amending laws in broj 35/09, 32/10, 51/15 and 25/16.^[1]

No founding date for BHRT, or launch date for BHT1, was retrieved from BHRT's own pages or from its statute, and none is given here. The EBU members list gives no admission date.^[2]

Why does BHRT matter in Bosnia and Herzegovina's sport?

The European Broadcasting Union lists BHRT as its member for Bosnia and Herzegovina.^[2] Its own tariff reserves national-team football, the European and World Championships and the Olympic Games for special offers.^[3]

Its finances are a monitored subject. On 14 November 2025 Luigi Soreca, Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative, wrote: “Radio-televizija Bosne i Hercegovine (BHRT) godinama je suočena sa teškom finansijskom krizom, a ta prijetnja je prerasla u egzistencijalnu.” He wrote that debts were accumulating, with a threat that the power supply would be cut and assets seized, and that “Prihodi koji po zakonu pripadaju javnim servisima nisu uplaćivani već godinama.”^[6] Those are the EU representative's statements.

Reporters Without Borders, in its 2026 index, writes that in the Republika Srpska “authorities took political control of the entity's public broadcaster RTRS and pushed the national public channel BHRT to the brink of financial collapse”. That is RSF's characterisation, attributed to it.^[7]

On 16 September 2026 N1 reported a statement by the editorial board of BHT1 announcing that the afternoon live programme and the weekend editions of “Jutra za sve” would be suspended, that its accounts remained blocked, and that transmission of the national football team's Nations League matches was in question.^[8] On the build date that is BHRT's own statement, and no later decision on the matches was retrieved.