Public service broadcasters continue to be a vital source of news and cultural connection for many people from the Western Balkans living abroad. Through satellite television, online platforms, and social media, diaspora audiences in Austria and across Europe keep informed about developments in their home countries. As media landscapes rapidly change under the influence of digital tools and artificial intelligence (AI), a key question emerges: how well prepared are these public broadcasters for this new reality, and why does it matter to audiences outside their home countries? 

A new regional report by NarativAI – Centre for Media Innovation in the Balkans, titled ‘Transparency and AI Readiness of the Western Balkan Public Service Broadcasters”, provides the first systematic assessment of public broadcasters in the region. It was carried out in October and November 2025. The analysis reviews seven public service media outlets, drawing on publicly available documents, focusing on transparency, ethical frameworks, and preparedness for AI-related challenges.

While most broadcasters have established basic institutional and ethical frameworks, the report finds that digital transformation and AI governance remain unevenly developed.

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s public broadcaster BHRT and Kosovo's RTK achieved the highest scores, each with 65 points, followed by Montenegro’s RTCG and Albania’s RTSH with 60 points. Serbia's RTS scored 55 points. The Croatian public broadcaster HRT and MRTV of North Macedonia recorded the lowest scores, each with 50 points, placing them at the lower end of the regional spectrum.

Generally, they perform better in areas related to formal transparency, such as statutes, governance documents, and general ethical codes. However, AI-specific policies, editorial guidance on algorithmic tools, and safeguards against synthetic or manipulated content are largely absent across the region.

As Aleksandar Manasiev, the author of this report and founder of NarativAI, observes, the objective of this research is not to criticise individual broadcasters but to help improve standards throughout the region. We view this as a starting point for dialogue, one that promotes transparency, ethical reflection, and responsible adaptation to new technologies.

Across the Western Balkans, the report highlights a common challenge: public broadcasters are generally more advanced in traditional transparency than in AI governance. None of the assessed institutions currently possesses a fully developed, publicly accessible framework for the ethical use of AI in journalism.

For the diaspora, these findings are significant because trust in public media relies not only on editorial independence but also on how institutions adapt to technological change. As AI becomes integrated into everyday journalism, clear standards and transparency will be vital for maintaining credibility both domestically and internationally.