The Independent Media Commission (IMC), on March 16, 2021, under the leadership of the Chairman of IMC, Mr. Xhevat LATIFI, has held its third regular meeting for this year. Initially the Committee approved the agenda of the meeting and then the record from the last meeting.

In this meeting according to the agenda, IMC has reviewed legal cases related to violations identified by the monitoring of Audiovisual Media Service Providers (AMSA), during the campaign for the extraordinary elections of February 14, 2021, for the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo.

Independent Media Commission in order to assess the compliance of the media with the Guideline for the implementation of Chapter VIII of the Law on General Elections no. 03 / L-073, monitored the Audiovisual Media Service Providers during the election silence. According to the findings of the monitoring process, the IMC has initiated several legal cases which are related to violations of the legislation of the Independent Media Commission, respectively the Code of Ethics KKPM-2016/03 for Media Service Providers in the Republic of Kosovo, Regulation IMC-2017/07 on Commercial Audio-Visual Communications as well as Chapter VIII of Law no. 03 / L-073 on General Elections in the Republic of Kosovo for the implementation of which the IMC is responsible.

The Commission has reviewed all these cases of legal violations and after that, they concluded that in all these cases the subjects have been found in violation of the legislation.

After reviewing the legal cases of violations, the Commission decided as follows:

• Channel 10 - was sanctioned with a fine in the amount of 5000 € (five thousand euros), for violation of Law no. 03 / L-073 on General Elections;
• TE 7 - was sanctioned with a fine in the amount of 5000 € (five thousand euros), for violation of Law no. 03 / L-073 on General Elections;
• TV 21 - is sanctioned with the measure Remark, for violation of Law no. 03 / L-073 on General Elections;
• TV Mir - was sanctioned with a fine in the amount of 2000 € (two thousand euros), for violation of Law no. 03 / L-073 on General Elections;
• ATV - is sanctioned with the measure Remark, for violation of Law no. 03 / L-073 on General Elections;
• TV Dukagjini - was sanctioned with a fine in the amount of 5000 € (five thousand euros), for violation of Law no. 03 / L-073 on General Elections;
• Klan Kosova - was sanctioned with the measure Remark, for violation of Law no. 03 / L-073 on General Elections;
• TV Festina - was sanctioned with the measure Remark, for violation of Law no. 03 / L-073 on General Elections;
• Klan Kosova - was sanctioned with the measure Remark, for violation of the Code of Ethics;
• TV Syri Vision - has been sanctioned with the measure Remark, for violation of the Code of Ethics
• TV Dukagjini - has been sanctioned with the measure Remark, for violation of the Code of Ethics
• TV Vali - was sanctioned with the measure Remark, for violation of the Regulation on Commercial Communications IMC-2017/07.

Following the meeting, the Commission addressed several requests in licensing cases.

The cases contained requests for additional radio frequencies, the request for licensing of the media service provider through the distribution operator and the request for change of ownership. The licensed cases reviewed are listed as follows:

• Radio Kosova 1 and Radio Kosova 2 - Decision on additional frequencies;
• TV M - Decision on issuing a license for media service providers through OSHs;
• TV Film Premier - Decision on issuing a license for media service providers through OSHs;
• TV Kalamajt - Decision on issuing a license for media service providers through OSHs;
• ISP Aksion - Decision to issue a license to the media service provider through OSHs;
• ISP Hits - Decision on issuing a license for media service providers through OSHs;
• ISP Drama - Decision on issuing a license for media service providers through OSHs;
• Radio and TV Festina - Decision for change of ownership

After reviewing the recommendations of the Executive Office for each of the above cases, the Commission concluded that all the requirements met the legal criteria of the IMC and decided to approve all the recommendations.

INDEPENDENT MEDIA COMMISSION