New IWPR Radio Programme

The project will bolster IWPR efforts to expand public access to regular, reliable and objective information on the war crimes justice process in former Yugoslavia - essential for long-term democratisation and reconciliation.



The innovative programme, which will be broadcast by RFE/RL’s network of affiliate radio stations in the region, will combine reports from International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, ICTY, and war crimes justice related news, features and analysis from the Balkans.



There will also be lively discussion of subjects and issues raised by IWPR’s editorial output.



The programme will be aired every Sunday from 18.30- 19.00 local time, and will be rerun from 22.30-23.00 the same day.



RFE/RL currently has more listeners throughout the region than BBC World Service and Deutsche Welle combined. RFE/RL has affiliated radio stations in 120 towns and cities throughout former Yugoslavia, which broadcast its programmes daily.



According to a survey conducted in Bosnia in December 2006, around 15 per cent of the population listens to RFE/RL regularly, which is about 600,000 people. The largest proportion of the audience (39 per cent) is made up of people aged 25 to 44.



Forty FM radio stations in the region will broadcast the programme. And as part of the collaboration, RFE/RL's website for the Balkans, which has about 800,000 hits every month, will link to the IWPR website.



Merdijana Sadovic



IWPR Hague Tribunal programme manager