North Macedonia

[MK] New Amendments on the Law on Broadcasting Activity

IRIS 2008-9:1/26

Sašo Bogdanovski

Broadcasting Council of the Republic of Macedonia

The Law on Broadcasting Activity, adopted in 2005 and once amended in 2007 by the Law on Amending and Supplementing the Law on Broadcasting Activity, was reviewed again in August this year by the Sobranie, the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia. This review resulted in the Law on Amending and Supplementing the Law on Broadcasting Activity that came into effect on 19 August 2008 (Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia No. 103/08).

Both Laws on Amending and Supplementing the Law on Broadcasting Activity are exclusively related to the functions of the Macedonian public broadcasting service, Macedonian Radio and Television (MRTV).

By the amendments that entered into force as from 19 February 2007 the Governing Body of the MRTV – comprising of two persons having equal responsibility in governing MRTV’s work, and equal legal obligations – was established to replace the Executive Director.

The new adopted Law on Amending and Supplementing the Law on Broadcasting Activity is related directly to the possibility to institute bankruptcy or liquidation proceedings on the Macedonian public broadcasting service, MRTV. The amendments include a provision that enables programme and technological development of the public broadcaster MRTV to be supported by the budget and the amount of the broadcasting tax is reduced in monthly instalments with the possibility to be corrected once a year.

The Macedonian public broadcasting service MRTV is facing the gravest crisis since its foundation. However, an expert contends that the new amendments will not solve the crisis and that the adopted provisions are incompatible with the Law on bankruptcy, which does not allow the initiation of bankruptcy or liquidation proceedings against a public enterprise.