The repeal of the broadcasting fee as well as the financing of the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services with budget funds will violate the independence of the institution and it will be kept on a string by the government, the Director of AAAMS Zoran Trajchevski said today at the opening of the Conference with the media regulatory bodies from Bulgaria, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia and Slovenia, organized to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Agency.
He noted that if such a practice existed, it would have been applied in other European countries.
“Unfortunately, both the opposition and the ruling party want to fulfill pre-election promises with this populist act, and they do not take into account the fact that the functioning of the Agency is being destroyed, which was able to play its role in society for the past 20 years due to it’s financial independence,” Trajchevski said.
Regarding the drafting of a new media law, Trajchevski’s personal opinion is that the text that goes against European directives. He noted that AAAMS is not involved in drafting the law and probably it is a matter of a working version.
“It is logical to have a public debate and to include all subjects that are affected by the law,” Trajchevski said.
The text is made within the framework of the project “Media Reform Observatory”, implemented by the Foundation for Internet and Society Metamorphosis, “Agora” Center for Promoting Civil Values and the Platform for Investigative Journalism and Analyzes – PINA, with the financial support of the “Foundation Open” Society – Mace
donia “. The content of the text is the sole responsibility of the authors and can in no way be considered to reflect the views of the “Open Society Foundation – Macedonia”.
