MRT1
The first programme service ("MRT1") broadcasts in the Macedonian language and is the most watched TV channel of the public broadcasting service in the country. It is the successor of "Television Skopje", which started broadcasting in 1964.
According to the 2022 public opinion poll of the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services, "MRT1" is the third most watched television in the country.
It broadcasts an informative, cultural and musical program for which it has a separate editor-in-chief, in addition to the one who is responsible for the overall program of "MRT1". Part of this program is rebroadcast on the satellite program service.
"MRT1" is part of the large family of radio and television channels that operate within the framework of the public broadcaster, which has a total of six television services and two satellite channels, as well as four radio channels, one of which is broadcast through satellite.
According to the Law on audio and audiovisual media services, the public broadcaster should work in the public interest and should have an independent editorial policy guided by the public interest, a principle that is often violated and depends on the specific leadership of the service and the party in power in the country.
The "Macedonian television" went digital in 2013. However, as it was indicated in their five-year development strategy from 2021, a long enough period has passed since then that has gone without any investments in technology.
Audience Share
Missing Data
Ownership Type
Public
Geographic Coverage
National
Content Type
Free content
Media Companies / Groups
PBC Macedonian Radio and Television
Ownership Structure
"MRT1" is a part of the national broadcasting service "MRT". Since the parliament is the founder of the national broadcaster, it has an important role in the selection of its management. Moreover, given that members of the Program Council as the governing body of "MRT" are appointed by the parliament, there is potential influence of the governing (ruling) political parties on the selection and appointment of the Council members.
"MRT" is managed by a Director General and Deputy Director General, both are elected by the 13-member Program Council, which is in turn elected by the Assembly. The program council also elects a seven-member supervisory board that oversees the media's financial operations.
Until 2017, "MRT" was financed from the broadcasting fee and from the state budget. Then the government abolished the broadcasting fee and now the main source of funding is the state budget, as well as the sale of advertising time.
"MRT" is a member of the "European Broadcasting Union" (EBU).
Individual Owner
General Information
Founding Year
1964
Affiliated Interests Founder
December 14, 1964, is considered the birthday of the "Macedonian Television" and its first channel, "MRT1", when the Macedonian language program began broadcasting from an improvised studio in Skopje. The medium then operated under the name "Radio Television Skopje", as a part of the "Yugoslav Radio Television".
Six years earlier, in 1958, the decision to establish television in the country was made by the Council of "Radio Skopje", after which preparatory work followed, such as setting up transmitters, training employees, purchasing equipment and a studio for broadcasting.
Radio Skopje was founded in 1944, at the Second Session of the Anti-Fascist Assembly of the People's Liberation of Macedonia (ASNOM).
Affiliated Interests Ceo
Has been the director of the "Macedonian Radio and Television Public Broadcasting Company" since 2012. For three years now, he has been working with an expired mandate. This is due to the impossibility of opening up an application process for a new director, because the members of the Program Council, who elect the director, also have an expired mandate.
The election of the new "MRT" Program Council has been stuck in the Parliament since 2020, due to a blockade by the opposition. The current leadership, headed by Cvetkovski, was elected during the time of former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and now the opposition VMRO-DPMNE.
Affiliated Interests Editor-In-Chief
Is an electrical engineer with a Master's degree in media and communications. She has many years of work experience in the media, primarily in "MRT". There, she became recognizable as the host of the children's show "Pulsiranje", which was broadcast on the national service in the 1990s. Before becoming the editor-in-chief of the first program service of "MRT", Andonova was the editor of the service's educational program.
Contact
Address: blvd. Goce Delcev 18 , 1000 Skopje
еmail: direkcijamrt@mrt.com.mk
phone: +389 025119899
website: mrt.com.mk
Financial Information
Revenue (in Mill. $)
Missing Data
Operating Profit (in Mill. $)
Missing Data
Advertising (in % of total funding)
Missing Data
Market Share
Missing Data
Further Information
Meta Data
The finances of the first program service of the Macedonian Television cannot be singled out separately within the entire entity MRT, because the data is only available for the company as a whole, but not for the individual services that function within its framework.
