The Contact Radio is part of the "Civic House" project, which brings together non-governmental organisations, free media and independent trade unions. The Contact Radio was established in 1998, but was closed down by Serbian regime two weeks afterwards. From December 1998 to March 1999, the radio broadcast daily radio shows through BBC and ANEM. Before and during the war, the station premises were robbed, and left without its broadcasting and studio equipment. After the war, also part of its office equipment disappeared. Radio Contact resumed its broadcasting on September 28, 1999.

More than 60 young people were trained at the Contact Radio. Most of them have escaped from Kosov@. The radio employs 25 workers – 12 journalists, five technicians, two music editors, one organiser, one clerk, one translator (English and Albanian), security, cleaning lady, coordinator and editor-in-chief. Present ethnic structure of the staff reflects Kosov@’s multiethnicity: Albanians (9), Turks (6), Serbs (6), Muslims(2), Gorans (1), Croats (1). It is currently the only indigenous radio station with multi-ethnic staff and programming.

News programme is aired in three languages: Albanian, Turkish and Serbian. Authorial radio shows are broadcast in the author’s mother tongue, while their main messages are translated into other languages. Seven news bulletins are broadcast a day, as well as a special information radio show in English. The plans are to have around 50 employees, both in studios in Pristina and Kosovska Mitrovica, till the end of the year.

In 1999, Radio Contact initiated joint radio shows with broadcasters from Banja Luka, Novi Sad and Kraljevo. It is member of the ANEM (Association of Independent Electronic Media), and cooperates with the Association of Independent Radio Stations of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Association of Independent Radio Stations of Montenegro. In Pristina, it cooperates with the RTV 21.

The Contact Radio is a multi-ethnic radio station that promotes the social reconstruction of Kosov@ as a multi-national, democratic and prosperous community. Its program and organisation have already proved that coexistence is possible. The radio calls for non-violent communication, tolerance, dialogue, multi-ethnic cooperation and ecumenism. The Contact Radio is the only indigenous independent radio station that broadcasts in Albanian, Serbian, Turkish and other languages used in Kosov@.

The Contact Radio Pristina is part of a Contact regional network, comprising independent radio stations of Banja Luka (Bosnia-Herzegovina), Pristina, Vukovar (Croatia), and Novi Sad (Vojvodina/Serbia). The Contact network provides for successful exchange of information and staff, as well as high-quality education and professional support.

The radio provides Kosov@’s citizens with accurate and professionally done information. It uses services from the most credible independent news agencies throughout the region: BETA, Fonet (Serbia), Montena Fax (Montenegro), Onasa (Bosnia-Herzegovina), and Stina (Croatia). Radio Contact re-broadcasts information services provided by DW (in Albanian and Serbian) and the Radio Free Europe, as well as the independent Radio B-2-92 from Belgrade.

Besides news, Radio Contact also has special shows such as "NGO Forum" (daily), "Kosov@ Between Past and Future" (twice a week), Labour Rights (monthly), authorial shows focused on science, culture and arts (daily). The radio staff pays special attention to its broadcasts intended for the Kosov@ youth. There is a daily show devoted to high-school and university students. Contact Radio will start producing a weekly radio show for the Turkish ethnic community. It plans to start a Romani-language show too. The radio pays special attention to ecumenical dialogue, and has managed to establish fruitful cooperation with Kosov@’s three religious communities – Muslim, Catholic and Orthodox Christian.

The Contact Radio and KFOR press service have already started the "KFOR Contact Magazine," which KFOR intends to broadcast in Serbia and Montenegro. The broadcast is now aired by the Radio 021 in Novi Sad, Kraljevo-based Globus Radio and The Mir Radio in Tuzi (Montenegro). The Contact has already provided viable technical conditions for live coverage of press conferences held at the KFOR press centre.

Following a request by the Belgian and French battalions, a studio was established in Leposavic, and another one in Kosovska Mitrovica. The station is called Contact Plus and produces since beginning of April two hours programme (4p.m. – 6p.m.). The broadcasts address the Serb ethnic community in its enclaves in Leposavic, Zubin Potok and Kosovska Mitrovica. After two-hour programme on own, the studio joins the Contact Radio programme from Pristina.

The Contact Radio addresses the displaced of Kosov@, and plans a special projects with the Radio 021 of Novi Sad (weekly radio show) and the Odgovor weekly (monthly supplement Odgovor-Kosov@-Contact – 15,000 copies to be distributed free of charge).

In accordance with the "open radio" concept, Radio Contact plans to start the Professional Solidarity Network project. The project stipulates that journalists and technicians from abroad (those from the former Yugoslav soil in particular) should come to Pristina and work for some time (a month) at the Contact Radio. They would participate in the education of young journalists, and be directly involved in the realisation of the programme. In 1999, three journalists were in Pristina within the project (from Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Novi Sad).

The radio station possesses broadcasting equipment that should be updated in the year 2000. It is necessary to procure a link to transmit signal from better aerial systems than it has at the moment. The station still lacks computers and new, modern audio software, as well as photocopier and printer.

The main problem of the Radio Contact and Contact Plus is security. They need another 10-15 mobile radio stations so that all journalists and other employees could be in permanent contact. It is necessary to employ another three persons to increase the existing level of security, whose shifts should cover 24 hours. It is necessary to obtain three cars to facilitate the radio staff’s work on the ground and secure safe transportation for the employees. The Serbian-speaking journalists tend to leave the area, and they need to feel enough safe to be encouraged to stay. There is also a problem with Albanian journalists, because they are perceived as working for the "Serb radio" and thus feel endangered.

The main goals of the Radio Contact and Contact Plus are as follows:

• To provide the Kosov@ citizens with accurate and reliable information, based on journalist standards and professional ethics.
• To promote the sovereignty of Kosov@’s citizens as a basis for a society with developed institutions of civic democracy.
• To promote open society, the policy and culture of civil society, non-violent communication and problem solving through dialogue. It also promotes sustainable, multi-ethnic communities, and supports civic initiatives and independent trade unions.
• To educate citizens how to take an active part in democratic processes, and support the social reconstruction of Kosov@ as a multi-ethnic, democratic and prosperous community.
• To build trust between international organisations, KFOR and UNMIK on one side, and the local population on the other.
• To be a bridge providing for the exchange of information between Albanians and minorities in Kosov@. It seeks to preserve the identity of smaller ethnic groups (Muslims, Croats, Serbs, Turks, Romanies and Gorans), and supports dialogue between them.
• To open discussion on issues from Kosov@’s hard past, as well as those relevant for the Kosov@ future, along with specific problems relating to different social groups (women, students, war veterans, the handicapped, etc.).