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The Albanian Parliament approved, on 28 May 2007, the Law on digital broadcasting in the Republic of Albania. It is the first law on digital broadcasting television in the country. Digital broadcasting via both terrestrial and satellite technology started in Albania in July 2004. The private company “Digitalb” has since that time been the only operator that is offering television programmes via digital technology. It is using four frequencies without licence to offer to the subscribers 36 Albanian and additional foreign television channels. There are now about 200,000 subscribers on terrestrial...

The head of the Council of Albanian Public Radio Television ( Këshilli Drejtues i Radiotelevizionit Publik Shqiptar ) resigned on 16 March 2006. In his statement thereto he gave as reason that he felt disappointed about his attempts to transform the Albanian Radio Television into a public institution and to separate it from the political dependence alleged. As an example, he mentioned that eight out of fifteen members of the Council had asked, one month ago, for the resignation of the General Director of Public Radio and Television. But they had failed because the Director was supported by the...

The Government of the Republic of Albania decided on 8 February 2006 to change the law “On public and private radio and television in the Republic of Albania”. Under the amendments to the law the legal mandate of the Këshilli Kombëtar i Radiotelevizioneve (The National Council of Radio and Television), the responsible authority for licensing monitoring of the activity of the public and private radio and television in the country, is interrupted. Also for the members of the current Këshilli Drejtues i Radiotelevizionit Publik (The Directorate Council of the Public Radio and Television) the term...

On 21 December 2005, the Albanian Parliament decided to reduce taxes for the media. All electronic and print media are relieved from the duty to pay VAT (value-added tax) for the year 2006. The decision of the Parliament was made in the framework of the new financel laws for the year 2006. This decision may help the fragile financial situation of the Albanian media. There are actually 110 private radio and television broadcasters and 28 daily newspaper publishers operating in the country. Many of them are declaring year after year negative financial balances to the authorities.

The Keshilli Kombetar I Radiove dhe Televizioneve (National Council for Radio and Television), which is responsible for the licensing of the private radio and television stations in the country, decided in July 2005 to announce a competition for a new license on national private terrestrial analogue television. The decision followed the rejection of a bill on the digital terrestrial and satellite television in Albania by the Parliament in May 2005 (see IRIS 2005-7: 8). Thus the country has no approved action plan for the switch-over to digital broadcasting. There are already two national private...