Albania

[AL] Regulator announces deadline for analogue broadcasting switch-off in capital

IRIS 2017-7:1/9

Ilda Londo

Albanian Media Institute

The Audiovisual Media Authority (Autoriteti I Mediave Audiovizive - AMA) issued an announcement on 8 May 2017 stating that the deadline for analogue broadcasting switch-off in the Tirana-Durres allotment would be 30 June 2017. The regulatory authority’s statement was based on Act no. 97/2013 “On Audiovisual Media in the Republic of Albania,” and on the Strategy for Switchover from Analogue to Digital Broadcasting, approved in 2012. The regulator is the key institution in charge of implementing the digital switchover in the country.

In this context, AMA invited all operators still broadcasting in analogue technology to prepare and take measures to support their programmes in the public broadcaster’s network or in the commercial national networks that have been licensed for this purpose. The fifth and final national commercial network license was granted on January 2017, after a lengthy and controversial process.

At the same time, in its announcement, the regulatory authority called on citizens that are still using analogue technology to obtain decoders so that they can continue to watch television after the end of June. The Tirana-Durres allotment contains the capital and one of the country’s major cities, and is one of the most densely populated areas.


References

  • Autoriteti I Mediave Audiovizive: “AMA nuk do të lejojë çeljen e kanaleve të reja televizive pa autorizim”, 31.03.2017
  • http://ama.gov.al/preview/category/veprimtari/aktivitete-te-ama-s/
  • Press release of the Autoriteti I Mediave Audiovizive of 31 March 2017: AMA will not allow the launch of new TV channels without authorization



This article has been published in IRIS Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory.