Television in Bosnia and Herzegovina

First broadcasting in Bosnia and Herzegovina started in 1961 when Radio-Televizija Sarajevo began its programme although without its own TV studio at that time (it used Radio Sarajevo's premises for this purpose).

Televizija Sarajevo (TVSA) started broadcasting its own TV program on 17 March 1969. with first live TV-news program called "Večernji ekran“ (Evening Screen). At the beginning of 1975., the first phase of the construction of "RTV Dom" – TV headquarters building in Sarajevo was completed. Two years later, in 1977, the second television program (TVSA 2) was launched.

With the help of other members of the Yugoslav Radio Television system, Radio-Television Sarajevo successfully implemented all special broadcasting programs dedicated to the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. The third television channel (TVSA 3) has started with broadcasting in 1989 from headquarters also known as the RTV Dom[1] (nickname "Sivi dom") located in Sarajevo.

During the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, JRT system dissolved when most republics became independent countries. The once-recognizable joint program created by the exchange of TV content in JRT network soon was suspended and interrupted, and separate national TV stations began to use propaganda in tv news and other programs. As a result, the once subnational broadcasting centers became public broadcasters of the newly independent states. In such conditions, the first commercial television stations in the Balkans appear.

At the beginning of the War in Bosnia, in 1992, RTV Sarajevo changed its name to Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (RTV BiH). Headquarters of the RTV BiH were often exposed to war damages. During the siege of Sarajevo, RTV BiH was forced to broadcast only one radio (Radio BiH) and one television program (tv bih) via damaged transmitters at Hum TV Tower, with minimal technical conditions.

On 2 May 1992, Hum Tower was partly destroyed by the JNA and VRS.[2] Militants illegally took over all property (TV transmitters and releys) from the former TVSA. Seven out of ten TV repeaters from former TVSA in the territory of BiH were controlled by the JNA and VRS.

From stolen equipment, a parallel new TV channel (Kanal S – SRT; now: RTRS) was established in May 1992[3] to broadcast propaganda or news builtens from Serbian RTV Beograd via its seat in Pale, near Sarajevo. The second TV transmitter above the Sarajevo, Bosnian capital, (Trebević Television transmitter) was directly controlled by SRT (Srpska radio televizija). With the outbreak of the Conflict between Croatia and Bosnian and Herzegovina, TV transmitters under the control of HVO started to rebroadcast news programs of HRT via its Erotel affiliate based in Mostar.

During the war (1992–1995), many independent local or regional stations (public and commercial) were launched across the country. Former network affiliates of the second radio channel (Radio Sarajevo 2) offten were used as facilities for these new TV stations.

On 1 January 1993, RTV BiH was admitted as an active member of the European Broadcasting Union.

In the Alipašino Polje neighborhood of Sarajevo, on 28 June 1995, a modified air-bomb was thrown by JNA/VRS into the building of RTV BiH. One person was killed, and at least 30 injured.[4]

Hum Tower also suffered major damage, which is partially repaired after the war by technicians from national public broadcaster, BHRT.[5]

After the war, many local media continued to work. With the help of various international donors, equipment has been renewed through media support projects.

On 2 March 2001, Communications Regulatory Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina was founded with mission to regulate the electronic communications and audiovisual sector in BiH. An important task was the management and supervision of the frequency spectrum.

After 17 July 2002, in Bosnia and Herzegovina there was no radio and TV stations that broadcast without official broadcasting license issued by the CRA.[6]

All local media in BiH, which could not meet the official criteria of the competition for broadcasting licenses were closed in the period between 2000–2002. According to the recommendations, CRA BiH has established a public register of permits issued for all broadcasters with relevant data about all media outlets (radio stations, TV channels...) who have received permission to work.

There are more than 40 licensed cable TV operators in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The latest estimates show that cable television services in BiH uses about 330,000 households.[11]

Depending on cable provider and subscription type, cable TV offer usually includes most of the local terrestrial channels. Offers are usually customized for specific city. Basic cable offer is limited to 40-65 TV channels in the starting packages. Digital and IPTV packages are limited to 120-180 channels (including the additional channel packages, HD packages, VOD etc.).

Registered on-demand audiovisual media service providers by CRA BiH:

• Videoteka by Super TV
• MojaTV Videoteka & MojaTV Flix by BH Telecom
• HOME.TV Videoteka
• DEPO TV / ZONA by www.depo.ba/depo-tv
• BUKA TV by www.6yka.com
• PRVI.TV by www.prvi.tv
• video klub by Telemach
• video klub HKB-net by HKB-net
• video klub HS by HS kablovska
• RTV BIR by www.bir.ba
• Hayat PLAY by Hayat TV

Public funding (Cable only)

Many local and regional public TV stations funded by local government unit are available through cable television only.

List of Public cable only television channels in BiH funded by local government unit ^{(via municipal assembly or grants)}

TV channel	Type	Launched	Formerly called	Owned by	Language	HDTV
Televizija Istočno Sarajevo	Municipal	2008 (2008)	РТВ Источно Сарајево	Istočno Sarajevo	Serbian	N
Televizija Jablanica	Municipal	1999 (1999)	RTV Jablanica	Jablanica	Bosnian	Y
RTV 7	Municipal	29 July 2012 (2012-07-29)	Televizija 7 Tuzla	Tuzla	Bosnian	Y
RTV Kozarska Dubica	Municipal		РТВ Козарска Дубица	Kozarska Dubica	Serbian	N
RTV Doboj	Municipal		РТВ Добој	Doboj	Serbian	Y
TV Lukavac	Municipal	2011 (2011)[13]	TV Lukavac	Lukavac	Bosnian	N
RTV Sana	Municipal	21 June 2016 (2016-06-21)	Radio televizija Sana	Sanski Most	Bosnian	Y

The process of digitization is still going on. Communications Regulatory Agency of BiH issued the first licenses for digital broadcasting in BiH to broadcasters BHRT, RTVFBiH and RTRS.

Permits are valid from March 1, 2016 year.[15]

Council of Ministers of BiH has decided to use the DVB-T2 standard for digital TV services in all nine allotments.

First stage of the transition to digital broadcasting covered Sarajevo, Mostar and Banja Luka and was completed on 14 October 2016. During this test phase, in some parts of the country, programmes from the public broadcasters (BHRT, FTV and RTRS) are broadcasting in digital form where equipment has been installed. The signal can also be received in the surrounding cities (Ilijaš, Visoko, Pale, Istočno Sarajevo, Prijedor, Gradiška, Laktaši, Čelinac and places in the Neretva river valley towards Čapljina) and places with optical visibility at the emission locations. Due to the abolition of the old analogue frequency for the purposes of digital, one commercial station temporarily emits digital signal in Banja Luka area. (K3 Prnjavor).

The second and third phase will cover six remaining areas for completing MUX-A in the whole territory of the country. That process will be completed after tender procedure. MUX-B is intended for privately owned and regional TV stations.

By 2012, information from MARECO INDEX BOSNIA (TNS) was used, and after 2014, survey data from Audience Measurement (Nielsen) is used.[16]

• List of cable television companies in BiH
• List of radio stations in Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Communications Regulatory Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Ministry of Communications and Transport BiH
• BHRT website
• Association of Private Electronic Media in Bosnia and Herzegovina