Skopje, 23.06.2016 – Today, the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services held its second public meeting in 2016, in line with its obligations laid down in the Law on Audio and Audiovisual Media Services. The Agency Director, Mr. Zoran Trajcevski, presented the activities that the Agency had carried out in the previous quarter – the conducted supervisions, the granting of one radio broadcasting license through public competition and the measures imposed. He also informed the present about the activities in the sphere of EU integration, the activities under the Plan for Popularizing the Right to Reply and Correction, the adopted decisions concerning ownership structure and the actions taken upon the submitted complaints and proposals.
He announced this year’s ongoing research on gender issues, conducted using samples of the news and advertisments broadcasted by the television programme services at the state level; informed about the conducted research into the radio stations’ scope and the total-viewership share of the television stations broadcasting programme at the state level via satellite or a public electronic communication network and the television stations broadcasting programme at the regional and local levels, the data of which refer to the first quarter of 2016, and about the adopted Rulebook on identifying the locations to which the operаtors of public electronic communication networks and the providers of on-demand audiovisual media services are obligated to deliver their signals. The Rulebook will start to be Implemented as of 1 August 2016.
In the context of monitoring media coverage of the 2016 early parliamentary elections, the Agency Director mentioned the three reports (covering 10-day periods) on the manner of reporting in the news, which had been incorporated into a single Summery Report for the period 15 April-14 May 2016, as well as the two reports on the broadcasted interviews, debates and other information programmes, which had been integrated into a single Summary Report for the period 15 April-14 May 2016.
On 25 May 2016, the European Commission proposed, as part of its Digital Single Market Strategy, an update of the Directive on Audiovisual Media Services, which dwells on four general areas: responsibility for the video-sharing platforms; a stronger and independent role for the media regulators; greater presence of the European works and more flexibility for the TV broadcasters in terms of advertising, product placement and sponsorship. The EC’s proposal to amend the audiovisual media services regulation was presented by Ms. Emilija Petreska-Kamenjarova, M.A., Head of the Human Rights and Media Literacy Division, Programme Affairs Department. She explained the context, content, goals and reasons for the update. With this proposal, the Commission wants to achieve a better balance of the rules that today apply to traditional broadcasters, providers of on-demand services and the video-sharing platforms, particularly when it comes to protecting minors. The proposal takes into account the changes on the market of audiovisual services following the last revision of the Directive, so as to ensure a progressive and flexible legal framework.
As regards the current status of the IPA 2011 Project, “Supply of Equipment for Monitoring Media Contents Performed by the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services”, Ms. Irena Bojadzievska, PhD, Assistant Head of the Department for Coordination and Support to the Agency Director and Council’s Operations, held a presentation, informing that the entire equipment had been installed at the Agency’s headquarters and the eight regional remote locations. The system for monitoring media content will make it possible for the Agency to conduct continuous 24-hour recording of the programmes broadcasted by the radio and television programme services for which the Agency has granted licenses, as well as recordings with the duration of at least 90 seconds of each programme service that is re-transmitted via the network of the operators of public electronic communication networks at least four times a day (24 hours), which is sufficient to identify the logo of the programme service (supervision over the observance of author’s and related rights). The equipment will be tested in the forthcoming period and is expected to be put into use in late August. The total worth of the equipment is Euro 839,608.00, of which 75 % are ensured through IPA and the European Commission, while the remaining 25 %, i.e. Euro 209,902.00 are provided through co-financing from the Agency’s budget.
The presentations held at the Second Public Meeting can be downloaded at the following links:
Emilija Petreska-Kamenjarova, M.A.
Proposal of the European Commission for Amending the Audiovisual Media Services Regulation
Irena Bojadzievska, PhD,
The Agenda for the Second Public Meeting of the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services in 2016 can be downloaded at the following link
The Registration Form for the Second Public Meeting of the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services in 2016 can be downloaded at the following link