Skopje, 6 August 2021 – The Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services shall be monitoring the broadcasters’ media coverage of the 2021 Local Elections, starting tomorrow.
In the period until the beginning of the election campaign, subject to monitoring shall be the first TV channel of the Public Broadcaster, MRT1, and six national commercial television stations that have an average weekly reach of above 10%: Sitel TV, Kanal 5 TV, Telma TV, Alsat M TV, Alfa TV and 24 News TV. All other programme services shall be monitored in case of complaints against them.
The Agency will be monitoring their entire programmes, focusing in particular on their central news editions and special information programmes involving representatives of the government (state/local) and the political parties, as well as other potential participants in the elections. Also monitored shall be all other programmes involving the potential participants in the elections, regardless of the reasons for their appearance.
Just as before, the Agency has placed a banner on its website containing all materials relevant to the election process – election-related laws and bylaws, complaint forms, publications, reports, etc.
Bearing in mind the fact that the announcement of the Local Elections, scheduled on 17 October 2021, has placed into force all the provisions of the Electoral Code entered into force, the Agency reminded all broadcasters about the provisions relevant to their reporting and operations in the period before the start of the election campaign.
The content of the letter is available at the link.