RTV21

RTV21 (an acronym for Radio Televizioni 21; English: Radio and Television 21) is a media company based in Pristina, Kosovo, which includes a radio (est. 1998), a television (est. 1999), and a website (est. 2001).

Founded as Radio 21 by Afërdita Saraçini and her husband, Florin Kelmendi, this transmission was a 30-minute news program about the events in Kosovo during the 1998-1999 war. Radio 21 reported from Skopje temporarily during the NATO bombing (March–June 1999) because its staff was expelled by Serbs from Kosovo. After the war began the revival of this broadcaster and with the help of donations from abroad the company also launched the national TV channel TV21. In 2000 the station was licensed nationally and broadcast two hours of programming daily, which was increased to 18 hours in 2001. Since 2002, the transmitter emits a 24-hour full program that consists of 70 percent of in-house productions.

RTV21 broadcasts today 24 hours via terrestrial and satellite in Europe and America. Even Radio 21 broadcasts 24 hours through FM waves.

Since September 2007, RTV21 also has five other channels: the music channel 21 Plus, the folk music station 21 Popullore, the children's channel 21 Junior, the cultural channel 21 Mix and the economy transmitter 21 Business as well as an official YouTube channel. The 2200 square meter building is part of the broadcaster Sheshi 21 (Square 21), which is rented to event organizers. Since January 2012, RTV21 is the first station in Kosovo to broadcast on digital terrestrial. Since 2013 RTV 21 broadcasts in HD format, the first station in Kosovo and in the Balkans to do so. By the end of 2012, RTV21 was selected as TV channel of the year on the first edition of IMK.

Besides various newscasts, RTV21 broadcasts primarily cultural and entertainment programs such as Diçka po Zihet or magazine program Relax. Also the first season of Shpija e Kosovës (the Kosovan version of Big Brother) was broadcast on RTV21.