The Independent Media Commission (IMC) on November 26, 2024, under the leadership of the Chairman of the IMC, Mr. Jeton Mehmeti, held its eleventh regular meeting. In this meeting, the Commission addressed several agenda items such as: the review for approval of 2 new regulations, the review of 21 requests for changes to the program schedule, 1 request for change of business name and one request for license renewal, the review of the proposal for re-announcing the competition for radio frequencies for Vitomirica-Peja, the request of RAEKP for the release of the 700 MHz frequency band and discussed the methodology for measuring the media market.

In his opening speech, the Chairman Mr. Mehmeti said that we are holding this meeting in the new building of the IMC, which is an investment of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and will be the permanent home of the IMC. The building offers a higher standard of work, with plenty of space and comfort for the IMC staff. Therefore, on behalf of the Commission, we thank the Ministry of Internal Affairs for accelerating the completion of the works, and I wish the IMC staff much success in the new building. We intend to hold the official inauguration of the IMC building during December.

Also today, together with the new building, the IMC adopts two new regulations, which are part of the IMC objectives for this year. The initiative for drafting these two regulations came from the IMC, their drafting was done by external legal experts. Therefore, we thank the European Commission, through its partner, the Legal and Policy Studies Group, for supporting the drafting of the Regulation on the Protection of Users in the Field of Audio and Audiovisual Services, and the OSCE, through its partner, the Kosovo Law Institute, for supporting the drafting of the Regulation on the Procedure for Handling Complaints in the IMC.

After approving the agenda, the minutes of the last meeting and the report of the Chief Executive Officer, the Commission has adopted the Regulation on the Protection of Users in the Field of Audio and Audiovisual Services and the Regulation on the Procedure for Handling Complaints in the IMC.

The Regulation on the Protection of Users provides clearer information to citizens who purchase television packages from distribution operators, protects users from misleading advertising, and offers citizens the possibility of terminating the contract or returning funds in case the terms of the contract are unilaterally violated.

The Regulation on the Procedure for Handling Complaints assures citizens and licensed entities that their complaints will be handled in a faster procedure but without exceeding the legal 45-day deadline. A register of complaints will be created, where citizens can see the process to which the handling of their complaint has reached. Ultimately, the IMC will have the final say on each complaint whether it will be dismissed as unfounded, approved or rejected.

According to the agenda, the Commission has reviewed 23 cases of a licensing nature. The Commission has approved the requests for changes to the program schedule for: Glam Radio, Heki TV, Klan Kosova 2, Pro1, Radio Alba, Radio Campus, Radio Gorazdevac, Radio Kiss, Radio KM, Radio Llapi, Radio Omega 3, Radio Prizreni, Radio Vala, TV Arta, Radio Ylberi, Radio Vala Rinore, TV Dielli, TV Kiss, TV Koha Vision, TV Syri, UBTV and the change of business name to DTV Media. While the request of Radio Okarina for license renewal is postponed for decision-making to the next meeting, for completion of documentation.

After the review, the Commission has approved a recommendation regarding the proposal for re-announcing the competition for radio frequencies in Vitomirica-Peja.

The Commission has also discussed the request of RAEKP for the release of the 700 MHz frequency band. The Commission decided to organize a joint meeting with RAEKP and the licensed entities that are parties related to the issue of the release of the 700 frequency band. At the end of the meeting, the Commission also discussed the methodology for measuring the media market.