The Media and Transition in Macedonia

Summaries In Macedonia, the media scene today, compared with five or six years ago, has a completely new structure. On the part of the print media private capital dominates, and on the part of broadcasting there are private radio and television stations which can reach more than 70 per cent of the population. But although the pluralisation is unquestionable, the democratic capacity of the media system remains undeveloped, which necessarily limits the possibilities for establishing civil society. The whole process could be named political commercialisation: the establishment of commercial broadcasters is under the patronage of the political elite. It is clear that even after the adoption of new legislation, both private and public broadcasting in Macedonia have stayed in the shadow of the government.