Indicator history

Italian and Hungarian minority in Slovenia are granted right to develop activities "in the field of public media and publishing" as a constitutional right. Since considered traditional/autochtonous minorities in Slovenia a range of rights is provided in the Consititution to protect their national identity. The rights are operationalised through sector regulation, including the regulation on national public service broadcasting organisation (RTV Slovenia), which provide programming for both Italian and Hungarian minorities in their languages,  separate units within national public service broadcasting have been established to provide the programming, and also representatives of both minorities participate in the governing body of the national public service broadcasting organisation. The framework for such minority protection of Italian and Hungarian community in Slovenia was established in previous socialist regime (and within former Yugoslavia), and has been continued after the change of the regime and establishment of independent Slovenia.

Since 2005, Roma community is also integrated in the national public service broadcasting organisation RTV Slovenia, based on the 2005 legislation. A weekly radio program and a fortnightly television program for Roma community are prepared  mostly by Roma journalists and aired in both Roma and Slovenian language.

Other minorities, such as minorities from other former republics of Yugoslavia - Albanians, Bosniaks, Croats, Macedonians, Montenegrians and Serbs - have not been provided with special rights within the national public service broadcasting. Although numerous and organised not only in number of associations, but also in an umbrella organisation (coordination) which demands better presence in the national public service broadcasting, they are still kept outside the PSB system in Slovenia. In 2010 the new law  on public service broadcasting was adopted providing certain level of integration for them, but the right-center oppostion in the parliament requested a national referendum which resulted with rejection of the law. Still, the actual management of the national public service broadasting organisation it its 2012 annual plan indicates that program content for these minorities will be introduced based on general provisions in the regulation of the PSB in Slovenia.

Italian and Hungarian minorities also publish print media, while Roma publish some periodical journals. Roma community also run own local radio. All of the mentioned media, including RTV Slovenia, receive financial support from the Governmental Office for National Minorities for media activities for Italian, Hungarian and Roma minority. Publishing of journals by minority communities from former Yugoslavia and others is supported by the Ministry of Culture.

Beside that, two student radio stations in Ljubljana and Maribor provide space for Roma community, communities from former Yugoslavia (mostly Bosniaks) and actual migrant workers' association to regularly prepare and air programming on the issues relevant for them.

Sources:

"Minorities and the Media in Slovenia" by Brankica Petkovic, a chapter in the book Media and Minorities in South East Europe, edited by Thomas A. Bauer, Vienna: South East Europe Media Organisation, 2006,   http://rci.mirovni-institut.si/Docs/Brankica_Petkovic.pdf and http://www.seemo.org/publications/medmin.html. Date of access: 15.1.2012.