16 October 2023
The Independent Media Commission (IMC) on October 13, 2023, under the leadership of the Chairman of the IMC Mr. Jeton Mehmeti, held its ninth regular meeting, where it dealt with several cases of the nature of licensing, respectively 3 radio license applications ( radio frequency), 1 request for change of ownership of Providers of Audiovisual Media Services (PAVMS) with transmission through distribution operators, 1 request for change of radio ownership, 6 requests for radio license renewal, 1 request for license renewal of PAVMS, 1 request for renewal of the license of the distribution operator and 2 cases for non-renewal of the radio license.
According to the agenda, the Commission first examined the Regulation on the Admission, Evaluation, and Discipline of the Chief Executive Officer. After the review, the Commission decided to postpone the approval of the Regulation to the next meeting. Within the position of the chief executive, the Commission has found that there is a discrepancy between the decision of September 16, 2019 for the appointment of Mr. Luan Latifi Chief Executive Officer for a four-year term and the minutes of the meeting of the IMC dated August 29, 2019 through to which the same is appointed head with a three-year term.
Regarding licensing cases, the Commission has reviewed the Reports of the Evaluation Commissions for the public competition for local radio frequencies in the Municipality of Prizren, broadcasting in the Turkish language and in Vitomirica-Pejë, broadcasting in the Bosnian language.
According to reports, in these competitions there are two candidates who have applied to the competition in Prizren and one in Vitomericë-Peja. Based on the results of the reports, the Evaluation Commissions found that in the competition in Prizren, of the two competing candidates, the candidate Radio Hisar met all the legal criteria of the competition for a radio license, while the other candidate Max Radio did not meet the criteria and lacked documentation in the radio license application. The Commission decided to approve the recommendations for licensing Radio Hisar and reject the request for the Max Radio candidate. While according to the Report of the Evaluation Commission for the competition in Vitomirica-Peja, the only candidate Radio Grand, did not meet the legal criteria of the competition for a radio license and the Commission approved the recommendation to reject the request for a radio license for the candidate Radio Grand.
Also in other licensing cases, the Commission has approved the license renewal requests for Radio Romano Avazo, Radio Omega 3, Radio Mitrovica, Radio Iliria, Radio Peja, PAVMS TV Diaspora and the distribution operator N.SH. Bledi. While it postponed for decision-making in the next meeting the requests for change of ownership for PAVMS TE7 and Radio Plus and the request for license renewal from Radio7 Kosova, due to incomplete documentation.
Regarding the cases of the two licensees Radio Borzani and Radio Kaçaniku, which did not submit a request for the extension of the license even after the notification of the IMC, the Commission has examined these two cases and they will be sent the official notification of the expiration and non-renewal of the license.
In the following, the Commission has reviewed and approved the quarterly work report of the IMC for the period July - September 2023, which is based on the legal obligation arising from Article 15 of Law No. 04/L-44 for the Independent Media Commission, is sent to the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo.