WB Public Service Broadcasters Strengthen Innovation and Collaboration in Skopje
Co-hosted with Macedonian Radio Television (MRT), the EU-funded Innovation. Media. Minds. Program held its First Semi-Annual Western Balkan Public Service Broadcasters’ Meeting from 24–26 February 2025 in Skopje, North Macedonia.
The gathering brought together 30 high-level representatives, including Director Generals, Deputy Directors, and Heads of International Cooperation Departments, fostering an open exchange of experiences, challenges, and progress on innovation projects across the region’s public service media.
EU, Goethe-Institut, and MRT Welcome Regional Cooperation
Representing the European Union, Aleksandar Melamed, Team Leader for Communications and Press at the EU Delegation in North Macedonia, emphasized the role of EU support in strengthening public service broadcasters.
“This EU-funded program aims to help the public broadcasters in the Western Balkans do their best in playing their main role – to serve the public interest through better organization and governance, additional training for journalists and technical staff, but also for top and middle management,” Melamed said.
“The wider goals include promoting an environment supportive of media freedom and improving participatory democracies through greater contribution by both media and civil society,” he added.
Speaking on behalf of the Goethe-Institut, Katrin Ostwald-Richter, Director of the Goethe-Institut in Skopje, highlighted the importance of independent public service media and regional collaboration.
“At the Goethe-Institut, we firmly believe that media freedom and democracy are intertwined. Public service broadcasters play an essential role in ensuring that diverse voices are heard, that information remains accessible to all, and that journalism maintains its integrity in the face of external pressures,” Ostwald-Richter told participants.
Macedonian Radio Television (MRT) Director General Marijan Cvetkovski welcomed the public broadcasters and emphasized MRT’s commitment to innovation and digital transformation.
“I firmly believe that MRT’s inclusion in this Program will bring significant benefits, not only for our journalists and production teams, who will gain valuable experience from the training sessions, but also our broad audiences. Viewers will have the opportunity to follow the upgraded and modernized public service program in the traditional format – on television screens – as well as through more engaging online content designed to appeal to younger generations,” Cvetkovski stated.
Broadcasters Present Progress and Future Plans
Public service broadcasters from across the Western Balkans took the floor to present updates on their innovation projects. Each broadcaster shared insights on the progress made, challenges faced, and plans for the next phases of their innovation work. These discussions aimed to foster regional cooperation and ensure that best practices are shared across public service media.
The IMM Regional Grants Manager Dajana Celebic gave updates on regional co-production and mobility grants, addressing key aspects such as the application process, budgeting, and visibility requirements.
First-Year Achievements and Financial Transparency
Providing an overview of IMM’s first year, IMM Team Leader Georgia Trisimpioti detailed the program’s expansion, allocation of innovation project grants, and financial management. She outlined the initially foreseen versus actually distributed grants, final awarded amounts, and budget optimizations that have strengthened the program’s implementation.
Funded by the European Union, the Innovation. Media. Minds.: Support to the Public Service Journalism in the Western Balkans Program is managed by the Goethe-Institut on behalf of the European Commission, in collaboration with its implementing partner DW Akademie.
The Innovation. Media. Minds. Program, worth 3.3 million euros, runs from 2023 to 2026, aiming to enhance content quality, modernize workflows, and strengthen public interest journalism. With a focus on skills development, innovation, and audience engagement, the program continues to support public service broadcasters in their mission to provide independent, high-quality journalism across the region.