The new head of RTSH, Eni Vasili, admits to BIRN that the company is facing a dire financial situation – after several contributors revealed they had not been paid for months.
After two contributors to Albania’s public broadcaster criticised delays in payments and a lack of information – and after others confirmed to BIRN that they face the same problem – Eni Vasili, the new head of RTSH since April 9, admitted to BIRN that there is a “catastrophic situation of debts and obligations”.
The new management is “doing its best to manage the situation,” she said.
“I thank all the journalists, authors and moderators of March-June 2025 projects for their understanding regarding delays in RTSH payments. Of course, it is not their responsibility that they were promised projects that could not be paid for – but this does not make the new management responsible, which has found itself in a catastrophic situation of debts and obligations and is trying to do its best to manage it,” Vasili told BIRN.
She added that there is “a prioritizing of the payments” right now, since important payments are owed to the European Broadcasting Union, EBU, regarding the Eurovision festival.
“Of course, there is a prioritization of payments at this moment, and we are trying to pay some international obligations first, some of which have not been paid since January 2024. Such non-payments would put RTSH in the position of losing its partnership with the EBU, and participation in Eurovision, or the loss of many television rights,” Vasili told BIRN.
“It would also face international courts for non-payment of contracts with foreigners,” she added.
She added that the Board of the Management will soon review the company’s “inside debt” and the finance department is expected to make a decision.
In April, Vasili took over as director general of the broadcaster, which is in dire financial straits and burdened with lawsuits stemming from the abrupt firing of some 150 employees by her predecessor, the former politician Alfred Peza.
According to the Board of Directors, the broadcaster is 6 million euros in debt and unfair dismissal cases stemming from Peza’s firing spree alone have already cost it 1.8 million euros.
The broadcaster is, in theory, politically independent, but the Board of Directors is elected by parliament, which is dominated by the ruling Socialist Party, and the General Director is elected by the board. Peza was a former Socialist Party MP.
Source: BalkanInsight
