More than 60 percent of citizens in Montenegro do not regularly follow the public service broadcaster, Radio Television of Montenegro (RTCG), despite financing it through the national budget. Ten percent of the population never tunes in, while less than 30 percent do so routinely.

The Center for Civic Education (CCE) revealed these findings from a survey conducted between December 16 and 23, 2024, employing the CAPI methodology on a stratified random sample of 1,022 adult respondents. The DAMAR Institute provided professional assistance in executing the survey.

CCE also shared on the Iks network that this research indicates RTCG has a stable, albeit limited, audience.

When asked “How often do you watch RTCG?”, the responses were as follows: 29.1 percent answered daily, 35.7 percent said several times a week, 25.2 percent indicated occasionally, and 10 percent selected never.

The CCE statement to the media noted, “Perceptions of political influence and biased treatment toward different political parties also influence the evaluation of RTCG’s professionalism and objectivity. A minority believes in RTCG’s independence; only a quarter of citizens feel RTCG treats political entities equally. Slightly more than 30 percent think this is true to some extent, under 20 percent believe it favors the government or are undecided, and about three percent feel it favors the opposition.”

The NGO pointed out that opinions are polarized regarding how well RTCG addresses public interest topics, particularly those highlighting the misdeeds or scandals of powerful individuals. Approximately one third believe RTCG addresses such issues, while two thirds either dissent or are unable to assess this.

CCE stated on Iks that the survey included the question: “To what extent do you agree with the following statements about RTCG?” (scale 1-5). The results were:

RTCG is subject to political influence – 3.35.

RTCG demonstrates professionalism – 3.33.

RTCG treats political options equally – 3.20.

RTCG reports objectively – 3.13.

RTCG operates independently – 2.81

CCE remarked that these findings are part of the “Media for Democracy: Strengthening the Independence of RTCG for the Future of Montenegro” project, which is being carried out with support from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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