Dine: RFE/RL To Begin Macedonian Broadcasts

(Washington, DC–August 27, 2001) RFE/RL President Thomas A. Dine announced today that RFE/RL will begin broadcasting in Macedonian on September 1.

RFE/RL’s programs in Serbian and Albanian already have a significant audience in Macedonia, Dine noted. But by adding broadcasts in Macedonian, he said, RFE/RL hopes to provide all of Macedonia’s linguistic communities a balanced view of local, regional and international events — something currently lacking in Macedonia’s media landscape.

“RFE/RL’s experience elsewhere,” Dine said, “shows that such broadcasts can play an important role in promoting stability and democracy.” He said that he was confident that the new Macedonian broadcasts will have the same effect

The three daily 15-minute news programs are to begin on September 1, and be broadcast in Macedonia on the “Kanal 77” network of 19 FM stations.

The Macedonian language programs will be created by members of RFE/RL’s South Slavic broadcast service, with both ethnic Albanian and Macedonian stringers reporting from locations throughout Macedonia.