The first protest against the government of Jan Jan Jansa

RTVS, Slovenia's public broadcasting organization, announced plans to cut 20 live sports broadcasts as part of broader budget reductions affecting its programming. The decision comes amid ongoing discussions over the future of mandatory television license fees and changes to the legal framework governing RTVS operations. The board of directors has approved a resolution to hold a special session on September 9 to address these issues, inviting experts to provide input on the implications of abolishing the compulsory payment. The board members were particularly interested in how RTVS would engage with the upcoming advisory referendum on the abolition of the mandatory television fee. However, RTVS President Natalija Gorščak clarified that the organization itself could not participate directly in the campaign, though it could invite supporters to take part. The board decided to prepare a comprehensive report on past payments related to the television fee, assess the consequences of its abolition, and compare funding methods used within the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). A joint statement will follow once this information is compiled. Board members also requested explanations regarding proposed amendments to the law governing RTVS, which the management submitted to the Ministry of Culture earlier this summer. These proposals significantly alter the status of regional centers under RTVS. Gorščak noted that similar comments had been sent to the ministry back in 2024, emphasizing that the proposed changes do not threaten the existence of regional centers, their programs, or content. Instead, the aim is to define the minimum scope of public service and remove organizational structure definitions from the law, leaving such decisions to the management and board. Mirko Štular, director of Radio Slovenija, pointed out that the proposal concerning regional centers was not aligned with his views. Similarly, Luka Rupnik, a member of the board and labor director, raised concerns about the lack of coordination on this issue. Andrea Bartole, representing the Italian national community abroad, highlighted the question of financing, noting that RTVS expects state funds for minority language programs, while the management proposes defining them solely as content. He warned against any reduction in existing rights and suggested the board request detailed justifications for the proposals submitted to the ministry. Gorščak presented the financial performance of RTVS for the first six months of the year, highlighting increased viewership for television programs, listener numbers for radio, and website traffic. As of late July, the organization had signed 1992 employment contracts, 30 fewer than planned and 37 fewer compared to the previous year. Annual investment plans reached 2.29 million euros, fulfilling 18.6 percent of the annual budget. RTVS recorded a surplus of 142,000 euros, although this figure was 328,000 euros lower than initially projected. Revenue amounted to 93.7 million euros, falling short of the plan by 2.6 million euros, while expenses totaled 93.6 million euros, 2.3 million euros below expectations. The organization’s debt stood at seven million euros. Gorščak emphasized that without considering unallocated funds from the Office for Nationalities and the Ministry of Culture, the financial situation remained negative by 8.8 million euros. Due to this financial strain, certain content areas must be reduced. International content will feel the impact most acutely. On television, the children’s program will lose a thematic channel, and a new entertainment format will not debut. Twenty live sports broadcasts will be eliminated, and the accompanying sports coverage will be scaled back. Regional centers will discontinue local reports, replacing them with a new show format on TVS. Radio programming will see fewer sports and cultural content offerings, along with fewer live concert broadcasts. More content will shift to digital platforms. The online portal MMC will reduce the number of external contributors, resulting in less moderation of user comments beneath articles.