A Legal Encore? BHRT Wins Court Case, Eyes Eurovision Return»
After years of playing musical chairs with unpaid debts, BHRT may finally be dancing to a different tune.
The Supreme Court of Republika Srpska has ruled in favour of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s national broadcaster, BHRT, in a pivotal legal battle against RTRS, the broadcaster of the entity Republika Srpska. At the heart of the matter? A rather unsymphonic 98 million convertible marks in unpaid licence fee revenue, which, according to BHRT, has left them financially flat and out of tune with Eurovision since 2016.
The ruling marks a decisive (and long overdue) turning point, as previous verdicts from lower courts have been tossed out like last season’s reality TV schedule. A retrial has now been ordered, though whether that translates into cold, hard cash anytime soon is a plot twist we’re still waiting for.
Belmin Karamehmedović, General Director of BHRT, struck a cautiously optimistic note:
“Courts in Republika Srpska will no longer be able to hide behind outdated arguments. This isn’t the end, but it’s the first solid step toward the justice we’ve been denied since 2017.”
In legal terms, it’s the equivalent of being handed a ticket back to the stage—but someone still needs to unlock the dressing room.
Lawyer Damir Katica, who represented BHRT, remains hopeful that the next act will finally deliver a consistent application of the law and restore balance to the nation’s troubled media funding ecosystem. Still, a payout from RTRS isn’t guaranteed. As Karamehmedović pointed out, the full legal process must be completed before BHRT sees a single mark, and Eurovision dreams remain in suspense until then.
RTRS, for its part, has remained silent—though we can only assume their legal team is furiously playing defence behind the scenes.
If the funding finally flows, it could open the door for BHRT to settle its longstanding debts with the EBU, potentially paving the way for a triumphant return to the Eurovision stage in 2026. Until then, Bosnian eurofans must content themselves with hopeful headlines and the ever-familiar phrase: “to be continued…”
Source: BHRT
