Kosovo

(Administered by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo in the context of UN Security Council Resolution 1244)

Kosovo’s media sphere has been exposed to a number of changes since the end of the war in 1999. Under the administration of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), the media have been subject to both Yugoslav and UNMIK regulations and have been under the supervision of an internationally appointed Temporary Media Commissioner.

Kosovo has a crowded media scene. In 2011, it had 22 television stations, including the public service broadcaster RTK, nine newspapers and 92 radio stations. Such a high number of media outlets can be partially explained by the considerable donor funding dedicated to the establishment of media outlets in the aftermath of the war. Following the government of Kosovo’s decision to ban public advertisement in the daily press in 2011, two daily newspapers closed down and another one maintained only its online edition.

Internet access is widespread in Kosovo. Household internet penetration rate of 84.8% and individual internet penetration rate of 76.6%. Besides the internet portals of daily newspapers, the number of news portals on the Internet has mushroomed over the last few years. Their role has presented an important development in terms of media pluralism and quicker access to information.

Updated in August 2014