The new director of RTSH, Eni Vasili, admits to BIRN that the company is facing a difficult financial situation - after some contributors discovered that they have not been paid for months.
After two contributors to Albania’s public broadcaster criticized delays in payments and a lack of information – and after others confirmed to BIRN that they face the same problem – Eni Vasili, the new director of RTSH since April 9, admitted to BIRN that there is a “catastrophic situation of debts and liabilities.”
She said the new management is "doing its best to manage the situation."
“I thank all the journalists, authors and moderators of the March-June 2025 projects for their understanding regarding the delays in RTSH payments. Of course, it is not their responsibility that they were promised projects that could not be paid, but this does not make the new management responsible, which is faced with 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 currently a "prioritization of payments", as significant obligations are owed to the European Broadcasting Union, EBU, related to the Eurovision festival.
“Of course, there is a prioritization of payments at the moment and we are trying to settle some international obligations first, some of which have not been paid since January 2024. Failure to do so would put RTSH at risk of losing its partnership with the EBU and participation in Eurovision, or losing many television rights,” Vasili told BIRN.
"She would also face international courts for non-payment of contracts with foreigners," she added.
Vasili also emphasized that the Board of Directors will soon review the company's "internal debt" and the finance department is expected to make a decision.
In April, Vasili took office as director general of the Albanian public broadcaster, which is in dire financial straits and burdened with legal proceedings stemming from the abrupt dismissal of around 150 employees by her predecessor, former politician Alfred Peza.
According to the Board of Directors, the broadcaster has a debt of 6 million euros and the issues of unfair dismissals from the Peza layoff wave alone have cost it 1.8 million euros so far.
In theory, the broadcaster is politically independent, but the Governing Council is elected by parliament, which is dominated by the ruling Socialist Party, while the Director General is elected by the board. Peza was a former Socialist Party MP.
