Bosnia and Herzegovina
Following the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina that lasted from 1992 to 1995, the Dayton Peace Agreement introduced territorial divisions and a division of political authority to keep the country together. Bosnia and Herzegovina thus consists of two entities: the Republic of Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1999 the Brčko District was established as an independent administrative unit following an arbitration process.
This complex political structure shapes the media landscape and market in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Data on the circulation of the country’s main newspapers and magazines are scarce, since these outlets do not publish circulation data. The country has nine daily newspapers and around 105 magazines, of which five or six are major political magazines.
Television serves as the dominant source of information, with nearly all households owning a television set. There are 43 television stations (31 private and 12 public) and three public service broadcasters: RTVFBiH, RTRS and BHRT. In addition, there are 134 radio stations, out of which 79 are private and 62 public.
All major daily newspapers, weekly magazines, radio and television stations have websites. The potential reach of online media is reflected by the rapid and continuous increase of internet penetration. According to the country’s Communication Regulatory Agency (CRA), in 2012, about 57 percent of the population had internet access.
Updated in August 2014
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