Student Radio raises nearly EUR 88,000 in donations to carry on

Ljubljana – Radio Študent, an independent radio station that has been struggling in the wake of funding cuts, has raised EUR 87,820 in a campaign that ended with September. The donations will enable the radio station to finish this year as planned if there are no “new major surprises”, Ana Kandare, the head of the Radio Študent institute, told the STA.

This comes after the radio station saved up almost EUR 48,000 in May-September on the back of severe austerity measures, Kandare said.

If there are no “new major surprises”, Radio Študent will end this year on a high note despite the year-long struggles and be given fresh impetus for the next year, including in terms of financing and motivation for more than 200 staff, she said.

This year’s decrease in funds, which was the result of the Culture Ministry’s non-funding and funding cuts executed by the University of Ljubljana’s Student Organisation (ŠOU), totalled EUR 133,000.

The ministry decided in May not to fund several radio stations with special status and two national newspapers, including Radio Študent, which received almost EUR 100,000 from the state in 2020. This was 50% of the station’s co-funding scheme.

What is more, the funding issues started at the end of 2020 when it first seemed that the radio would be left without ŠOU’s funding entirely.

In the end, Radio Študent got EUR 84,000 for this year, however this amount represents only 70% of last year’s sum from ŠOU’s budget, said the radio station.

Taking into account both the state funding and the amount allocated by ŠOU, Radio Študent received EUR 220,000 in 2020, which compares to EUR 171,820 received from ŠOU and supporters this year.

The latter donated EUR 74,086 in the campaign that started already at the beginning of the year to help Radio Študent overcome the financial struggles. The rest was donated by companies.

“We’re facing a further intensive search for alternative sources of finance and systemic solutions that will help us survive in the future as well,” Kandare said.

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