By: Vida Kocjan
Radio-Television Slovenia (RTVS), with around 2,000 employees and numerous additional contractual collaborators, is in serious business trouble, and the liquidity position of the public institution is worsening. It is becoming increasingly clear that the reasons for this are poor management, high salaries, loans, and internal disputes.
The management, led by Natalija Gorščak (and the institution’s council headed by NGO representative Goran Forbici), has for some time been taking out loans from the state treasury to pay salaries. In June, they borrowed €8.1 million; by the end of the month, they repaid only about €2.5 million, leaving a debt of €5.6 million. Borrowing from the state treasury is supposed to be only temporary, a bridge loan for the period between salary payments on the 15th of the month and the receipt of funds from the mandatory RTV fee. From this alone, it is clear that the RTV fee revenues are not sufficient to repay the debt, or that the management is using money from this source for something else. External experts have recently pointed this out and mentioned that the situation should be checked with a special audit.
RTVS on the brink of a liquidity collapse
Former RTVS general director Igor Kadunc also warns of problems related to the management of this public institution. In a special statement, he was highly critical of both Natalija Gorščak and Goran Forbici. He described their months‑long stubbornness and refusal to sign contracts with the Ministry of Culture and the Office for Nationalities at the beginning of the year as irresponsible. Had the contracts been signed on time, RTVS would have had approximately €7.7 million more in revenue and would not have needed loans. Now, however, they are on the brink of a liquidity collapse. The management expected the state treasury to approve a €12 million loan, but the Ministry of Finance approved a limit of only €9.5 million until the end of the year. This is also the maximum amount of short‑term borrowing available to RTVS.
They explained that RTVS’s cash flows have deteriorated or become more uncertain compared to the projections at the beginning of the year. This is crucial when assessing the further scope and conditions of RTVS borrowing, especially regarding its ability to repay the borrowed funds on time. This means that RTVS will have €2.5 million less in liquid funds available by the end of the year. The situation is further worsened by lower advertising revenues (in the first half of the year €3.12 million less than planned).
Head‑first through the wall
Based on these known facts, the management officially assured that the payment of July salaries (on 14 August) and honoraria was not at risk, and that they would try to cover the missing funds by borrowing from commercial banks. What does this mean? In such a case, loans for RTVS would be significantly more expensive. At the same time, banks require collateral, and RTVS does not have many free assets that could easily be pledged. Its largest assets are buildings and equipment, which are already partly encumbered or difficult to liquidate. Since RTVS is a public institution, the property it uses – the buildings on Kolodvorska Street, transmitters, equipment, and similar – is largely not its own in the sense that it could freely dispose of it like a private company. Under the Public Finance Act and regulations governing public institutions, they may not freely pledge property owned or managed by the state. Establishing a mortgage (a lien) on real estate or major assets generally requires the consent of the founder (in this case, the state or the competent ministry).
This means that the management cannot simply pledge buildings or transmitters. Banks can realistically accept the pledge of receivables (e.g., future inflows from the RTV fee), but given the current situation, this is unlikely. They can also accept promissory notes and guarantees, which are likewise not a viable option at the moment.
More money, a referendum
In July 2026, RTVS leadership announced that it was preparing a letter to the government requesting a 10‑percent increase in the RTV fee. The current fee for households is €14.02 per month and has been in effect since 1 January 2025. With a 10‑percent increase, the fee would amount to €15.42 per month. This would bring RTVS an additional €10 to €12 million annually. The government would have to make the decision by 1 September (for the following year), which is unlikely. It would also not be fair to those who must pay the fee mandatorily.
Let us recall: the coalition and the party Resni.ca have already submitted a proposal for a consultative referendum with the question: “Are you in favour of abolishing the mandatory payment of the fee for the programmes of Radio-Television Slovenia?” This does not mean they are against RTVS, but that citizens will be asked whether they agree with abolishing the mandatory fee. The referendum is scheduled for 11 October 2026 (together with other questions – the so‑called “super‑referendum day”).
Without oversight
RTVS leadership additionally states, or excuses itself, that the state (specifically the Ministry of Culture and the Office for Nationalities) has not yet paid out the legally mandated funds for RTVS, as determined last December by the amendment to the RTVS Act. These funds concern the co‑financing of minority community programming and music production, totalling around €14–15 million.
The Ministry of Culture insists that the transfer will be made only after the contract is signed. This requirement was already set by the previous government. The contract must regulate reporting methods, proof of earmarked spending, record‑keeping, and oversight. This is meant to prevent possible misuse of funds (according to experts, RTVS intended to use the money primarily for salaries, not only for designated programmes).
Culture Minister Ignacija Fridl Jarc has now stated that the ministry sent the draft contract to RTVS on 15 July 2026, and the institution submitted its comments only on 11 August. The ministry announced that it will review the comments and send the final contract for alignment and signature. Only then will payment be possible.
Minister Ignacija Fridl Jarc has repeatedly emphasised that this is a legal‑technical matter, not political withholding of funds, as some might wish to portray it. The management and the institution’s council insist that the contract is unnecessary because the obligation supposedly arises directly from the law. Former RTVS director Igor Kadunc is also critical of this stance. The core of the dispute is oversight of earmarked spending. Such contracts are standard practice for budgetary funds allocated to public institutions. A contract enables transparency and verification that the money is indeed used for what the law specifies.
Let us also mention the role of the Court of Audit, which has previously warned of risks in RTVS’s use of budgetary funds and of insufficient oversight. In its audit of RTVS’s financial statements and business compliance for 2022, it issued a negative opinion and found major irregularities. In the post‑audit report, it wrote that RTVS had not implemented satisfactory corrective measures. It therefore concluded that RTVS violated its obligation of good management, which the RTVS council had to address separately. In its review of the execution of the state budget (e.g., for 2024), the Court of Audit particularly highlighted that the Government Office for Nationalities paid RTVS €12.2 million for minority programmes without verifying the eligibility of claims before payment. This was a concrete criticism regarding insufficient oversight of earmarked spending. And RTV Slovenia appears to be heading toward a similar “story” again.
RTV Slovenia business operations
Total revenue: €158.04 million, of which the RTV fee accounts for €109.14 million
Labour costs for regular employees: €96.61 million, or 62.6% of all expenses
Number of employees at end of 2025: 2,029 employment contracts
Number of employees at end of June 2026: 1,999 employment contracts
Plan by end of year: reduction by around 100–108 employees
In the last eight years, the number of employees has decreased by approximately 280. In addition to regular employees, there is a large number of freelancers and contractual collaborators (the exact number is not uniformly published, but estimates suggest a substantial figure not included in the above regular employment contracts).
Irresponsible conduct that brought RTVS to the brink of collapse
Igor Kadunc, former RTV Slovenia director: “For seven months, RTVS leadership stubbornly insisted that bilateral acts were unnecessary. And only now have they finally relented and at least begun discussing the content of the contracts.”
Jelena Aščić, journalist, editor, and host: “I simply cannot understand your destructive behaviour. You cannot either, that’s just how you are. Please add a sign at the entrance reading ‘RTV SLO Cesspit’. Because that’s what it is.”
Bojan Požar, journalist and editor: “Last night I spoke with one of RTV Slovenia’s journalists. She says salaries will be paid tomorrow (Friday), but panic is quite high. Forbici, the president of the RTVS council, has been calling for strikes and resistance since June – against the government and Janez Janša – claiming the public expects courage and uprightness from RTVS employees.”
