The Republic Broadcasting Agency was established by the Broadcasting Law ("Official Gazette of RS" nos. 42/02, 97/04, 76/05, 79/05) as an independent organisation exercising public authority in accordance with the Broadcasting Law and the regulations adopted based on this and other laws in the Republic of Serbia with the aim of providing conditions for efficient implementation and improvement of the defined broadcasting policy in the Republic of Serbia in a manner appropriate for a democratic society and integration-related needs. The Agency has the status of a legal entity, is completely state-owned and performs its activity under the name  the Republic Broadcasting Agency.

The Agency is an autonomous legal entity and is functionally independent of any government body, as well as any organisations and individuals involved in the production and broadcasting of radio and television programmes and/or related activities. The Agency’s competences are to:

1. adopt the Broadcasting Development Strategy of the Republic of Serbia, in agreement with the Government of the Republic of Serbia;
2. supervise the implementation of the Broadcasting Law provisions;
3. issue broadcasting licences and prescribe the forms thereof;
4. set the technical, organisational and programme requirements for the production and broadcasting of programmes pursuant to the provisions of the Broadcasting Law;
5. prescribe the rules and instructions binding on the broadcasters to ensure the implementation of the broadcasting policy of the Republic of Serbia;
6. supervise the operations of broadcasters in the Republic of Serbia;
7. decide on the submissions of natural and legal persons and on the broadcasters’ complaints concerning the operations of other broadcasters;
8. give its opinion to the competent state bodies concerning accession to international conventions in the sphere of broadcasting;
9. undertake appropriate measures against broadcasters, pursuant to the Broadcasting Law;
10. perform other duties in accordance with the Broadcasting Law.

Apart from the listed competences, the RBA performs other duties related to measures in the broadcasting sphere aimed at:

1. protecting the minors;
2. enforcing the regulations on copyright and related rights;
3. preventing the broadcasting of programmes which contain information inciting discrimination, hatred or violence against an individual or a group of individuals on grounds of race, religion, nationality, ethnicity or gender.

The Agency performs the listed activities as entusted tasks.

The managing body in the Agency is the Council of the Republic Broadcasting Agency and the Council President with the authority of Agency Manager. The Agency Council is composed of nine members that are elected among distinguished experts in the fields of significance for performance of the activities within the Agency's competence (media experts, advertising experts, lawyers, economists, telecommunications engineers and others). Council members are elected by the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia upon proposal of authorised pronponents.