Should there be a BiH National TV Channel in Croatian Language?

Submitted by yadranko on Fri, 03/12/2010 - 22:37

For some time now a debate has been going on how to allow for greater representation of Croatian language in Bosnia and Herzegovina's Federal television. Currently, Federal television is being dominated by Bosniak staff and TV programs are spoken in Bosnian language, geared for Bosniak viewers. Croat population obviously feels excluded and wants some changes. One serious suggestion is to establish a separate TV channel in Croatian language.

Libertarian answer to this question is very simple: Bosnia and Herzegovina does not need national television. National television is the inheritance of communist practice during Socialist Yugoslavia, with national television as the only legal media which was allowed to operate. Therefore, there is no need to create any new channels but instead to dismantle even those existing ones and keep the money in the hands of the people.


Private media has always been more than happy to publish government news. Why spend giant sums of money on something which is completely unnecessary. Why force citizens to pay 6.95KM + VAT per month for government run television, regardless of whether they watch it or not? Why smash TV monitors of private citizens who watch exclusively satellite television and why go back to the times of good old “inform bureau” and confiscate peoples' property for not paying services they are not using?


Private television is free, it provides better quality content by far, and it provides many more choices with something interesting to watch for everyone.


It is about time to end the theft of peoples' property, to abolish the existing national federal television, and to allow the private sector and free market to deliver the best media available, and let the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina decide with their remote control which media shall stay in business and which of them shall be run out of business.

For some time now a debate has been going on how to allow for greater representation of Croatian language in Bosnia and Herzegovina's Federal television. Currently, Federal television is being dominated by Bosniak staff and TV programs are spoken in Bosnian language, geared for Bosniak viewers. Croat population obviously feels excluded and wants some changes. One serious suggestion is to establish a separate TV channel in Croatian language.

Libertarian answer to this question is very simple: Bosnia and Herzegovina does not need national television. National television is the inheritance of communist practice during Socialist Yugoslavia, with national television as the only legal media which was allowed to operate. Therefore, there is no need to create any new channels but instead to dismantle even those existing ones and keep the money in the hands of the people.


Private media has always been more than happy to publish government news. Why spend giant sums of money on something which is completely unnecessary. Why force citizens to pay 6.95KM + VAT per month for government run television, regardless of whether they watch it or not? Why smash TV monitors of private citizens who watch exclusively satellite television and why go back to the times of good old “inform bureau” and confiscate peoples' property for not paying services they are not using?


Private television is free, it provides better quality content by far, and it provides many more choices with something interesting to watch for everyone.


It is about time to end the theft of peoples' property, to abolish the existing national federal television, and to allow the private sector and free market to deliver the best media available, and let the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina decide with their remote control which media shall stay in business and which of them shall be run out of business.