The entire interview by Mr. Zoran Trajchevski, PhD, given to the Bulgarian BGNES News Agency on 15 September 2016, can be downloaded at the following link
Europe has sent us Macedonian representatives to tell us how to make an independent regulator (CEM)
“The most important thing for any media regulator is to have financial independence,” stated Mr. Zoran Trajchevski, PhD, Director of the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services of the Republic of Macedonia, in an interview for BGNES. “In the past 20 years, financial independence has proven to be the key factor for any media regulator to be independent,” he stressed, continuing, “We have our own revenues from the radio and television media outlets, as well as the cable operators. Annually, this amounts to Euro 2.3 million and guarantees our independence.”
He hopes that the Bulgarian lawmakers will take this into account and ensure such independence to the Bulgarian regulator as well when making the amendments. “After this, the benefits will be felt by all citizens,” Mr. Trajchevski stated categorically.
Another important thing that has been accomplished in Macedonia and would be good to implement in our country is to make sure that the elected CEM members do not depend on the government. “The mandate of our Agency members is 7 years, i.e. they do not depend on the changes in the government, which has a four-year mandate. Thus, they are secure and they know they do not depend on the will of the political parties in Parliament,” Trajchevski said.
Mr. Trajchevski runs the oldest media regulator in the Balkans, created as early as 1997. Today, in the Bulgarian National Assembly, he spoke with CEM representatives and MPs. The meeting, which was organized along EU lines as well, was aimed at acquainting the Bulgarian counterparts with the legal amendments in the media sphere in the Republic of Macedonia that have been harmonized with the EU directives.
Mr. Zoran Trajchevski and the Macedonian Ambassador to the Republic of Bulgaria, H.E. Mr. Marjan Gjorchev
“In the media sphere, we are doing everything necessary to reach 100% harmonization with the European laws. The laws in this area have been prepared with the assistance from EU experts, as well as the EC’s financial aid,” underlined the Director of the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Servicesof our neighbouring country.
/BGNES