Audiovisual Media Authority
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS ON MEDIA
FIELD IN ALBANIA
The Fourth Annual Meeting of BRAF
(The Black Sea Broadcasting
Regulatory Authorities Forum)
Kiev, on 5-6 September, 2013
Albania Audiovisual Landscape
General data

The last general census conducted in October 2011 comprised less
than 3 million inhabitants (2 821 977). Given a large number of
Albanians living abroad, according to civil status registers population
consists of approximately 4.2 million inhabitants.

The population is young (average age is about 30 years old) which
favors the consumption of media and the development of
communication techniques.

Albanian population shows an apparent interest in new technologies,
as it shows the device with mobile phones and consumes more
television than radio. The number of TV sets is over 1 million, more
than one device per household.

Albania has a small territory, but today is an abundant and dynamic
audiovisual landscape. This is made ​possible through legal procedures
and criteria relatively not restrictive and liberalization policy pursued
by regulatory authority
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Albania Audiovisual Landscape

According to official data, audiovisual environment in Albania is
very rich. Currently, in media market are operating:

3 national television networks;

63 regional or local television networks (1 town up to 4
districts);

71 local radios (FM);

89 cable networks;

3 private digital satellite platforms, and

3 private satellite televisions
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THE PROCESS OF DIGITALIZATION
National Strategy on Digitalization

In May 2012, the Albanian government adopted the "Strategy of transition
from analogue to digital broadcasting”.

This strategy provides the main objectives and principles of the transition,
and formulates the role of the state and the relevant structures of the state
administration in the creation of the conditions for transition to the digital
system.

Also, it contains technical and legal assessment of the existing situation of
the Albanian audio-visual landscape and also defines the steps, procedures
and deadline of transition within 17 June 2015.
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THE PROCESS OF DIGITALIZATION

Along side this strategy, it is adopted the Action Plan, where specific
measures, the timeframe and financial costs that are needed are foreseen.

According to the strategy, the transition to digital broadcasting will be
completed in the order and the terms defined allotment after allotment
(“digital islands” method) up to full coverage of the Albanian territory (11
allotments).

Order implementation of numerical islands and deadlines will be
approved by the Inter-Ministerial Committee for coordination and
implementation of Strategy for the transition to digital broadcasting. With
the completion of construction of the network in a specific allotment, after
a short trial period (1 month), analogue public operator and local private
operators covering relevant allotment area will be closed.

Deadlines for building digital networks of ART (Albanian Public
Television) will be the same as the deadlines for building networks of
national private operators.
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THE PROCESS OF DIGITALIZATION

The Strategy has stipulated the implementation of more advanced
system DVB-T2. Meanwhile, for the digital terrestrial networks
established in Albania the compression system MPEG-4 and other
more advanced future systems shall be used.

This will allow for an efficient use of the spectre, and HD
programmes. Since the existing operators of the digital terrestrial
networks (not licensed) apply the MPEG 2 standard, a transition
period shall be determined MPEG2/MPEG-4, (not more than 2
years).

Since may 2012, AMA has organized some meeting and seminars with
different actors and stakeholders, with the aim to:
- introduce obligations and commitments arising in the framework of
the implementation of the National Strategy on the Transition from
Analogue to Digital Broadcasting, and
- the need for cooperation and coordination of all the actors involved
in this process, for its successful implementation within the set
deadline.
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THE PROCESS OF DIGITALIZATION

Albanian Digitalization Strategy has planned the building of:
- 2 (two) public national networks (2 layers);
- 3 (three) private national networks;(3 layers) and
- 1 1 (eleven) local network (1 layer)

In accordance with this obligation, recently, AMA drafted the
Regulation “On the licensing of digital networks and their
programmes, according to the procedure of beauty contest”, and
made a public notification for taking part to the selection
procedure, according to beauty contest principle, for granting 3
private national digital networks.
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EXISTING DIGITAL BROADCASTING

Digital broadcasting in Albania, originated in July 2004. Although
this situation has developed outside any legal framework, digital
terrestrial television is now a reality in Albania (Digitalb which is
covering more than 1/3 of Albanian territory and Tring platform).

Entities that operate today in the Albanian market are licensed as
digital satellite operator, but repeats channels which are
broadcast by terrestrial means.

However, terrestrial digital broadcasting operators, including
operators with significant expansion in the territory of Albania,
really are the determining factors for digital broadcasting in
Albania.
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LEGAL FRAMEWORK

With the aim to reflect the technology developments, the Albanian
parliament took the legal initiative to adopt the new media law,
with the purpose of providing a regulatory framework for the
introduction of digital broadcasting in Albania.

After a long discussion with all stakeholders, in March 2013, the
Albanian Parliament has approved the new law “On Audiovisual
Media in the Republic of Albania”, which is considered to be in full
compliance with European and international standards.

This law reflects recommendations from the expertise of the
Council of Europe and the European Commission and paved the
way for the start of the digitalization process.

The media law is fully in line with the Strategy for the transition to
digital broadcasting, adopted by the Albanian government in May
2012.
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LEGAL FRAMEWORK

This law “ regulates the activity of the audiovisual media and of
their supporting services, on bases of the technological neutrality
principle in the territory of Albania, and shall apply to linear and
non linear audiovisual broadcasts and their support services…” .

Pursuant to provisions of new media law, Audiovisual Media
Authority (AMA) has established a working group tasked with
drafting of sub-legal acts for fully implementation of the aforedmentioned law, which has to be concluded within 6 months from
the its entering into force (April-October 2013).

For this purpose, in cooperation with international experts, AMA
has already drafted and approved the best part of them, aiming to
conclude this process as soon as possible.
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LEGAL FRAMEWORK

In compliance with national legislation and international
standarts, prior to their approval from regulatory authority, AMA
has undertaken the process of public consultation related to
regulatory acts which have a significant impact on the delivery of
audio and audiovisual services.

The purpose of this consultation process is the presentation and
discussion about the content of these draft acts, aiming to take
comments and suggestions from the stakeholders, in order to
improve these acts, as well as achieving a broad consensus
among them .

The acts are published for public consultation in official website
of AMA (www.ama.gov.al), and are expected to be approve by the
regulatory authority, in October, at the latest.
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THE ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY OF
REGULATORY AUTHORITY

Pursuant to provisions of the new media law, AMA prepared and
submitted for approval to the Albanian Parliament (Education and
Means of Public Information Commission) a new organizational
structure, which is not approved yet

The aim is to have more efficient structure with greater flexibility
to manage and resolve problems and issues encountered as a
result of technological developments in the field of media, and to
meet obligations imposed by Audio Visual Media law and by the
Audiovizual Media Services Directive.

Audiovisual Media Authority has limited administrative and
financial capacity to carry out successfully the transition from
analogue to digital broadcasting. Therefore, AMA permanently has
asked for more financial and administrative support from the
government to accomplishes the switch off process successfully
and on due time.
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CONCLUSION OF DIGI TV PROJECT

Albanian Audiovizual Media Authority (AMA) was part of South
East Digital Television Project (See Digit TV), within the International Cooperation Programme of South-East Europe, funded by
the European Union.

The purpose of this project was the creation of a transnational
platform of regulators, in order to address issues related to
transition in digital broadcasting and coordination and use of
digital Dividend.

In this project was involved 13 thirteen partners, members of EU
or not, including the regulatory authorities of Italy, Austria,
Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Monte Negro,
Macedonia, and Albania.

The project started in April 2011 and lasted until July 2013.
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RESULTS OF DIGI TV PROJECT

The extensive work of the SEE Digi.TV Project resulted in a number of
analyses, reports, guidelines, specifications and recommendations that
target different aspects and phases of the digital switchover process,
ranging from strategy elaboration through the establishment of the legal
background, technical planning, promotion and execution of the
switchover, to utilization of the digital dividend.

Taking into account the needs of the citizens in the project area, the
project outputs are aimed primarily at regulatory authorities and policy
makers, but are of interest also of other stakeholders involved in the
digital switchover process.

The project consortium grew into a platform that facilitates and fosters
communication, exchange of information, ideas, lessons learned, and
best practices. As one of the main achievements of the project, cooperation among the regulatory bodies and other stakeholders from the
region will continue in one way or another after the end of the project.
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NEW SERVICES
Legal Framework

Article 54 of Audiovizual Media Law (“Types of licenses and
authorization and their terms of validity (duration)” provides for
“... The service authorizations of audio programme and service
authorizations of audiovisual program, are:
--------------4. Online service – for internet services.

The maximum duration of licenses and/or authorizations is 15
years. The AMA, by resolution, determines the maximum
duration of licenses and authorizations, according to their
classification.
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NEW SERVICES

Article 76 of Audiovizual Media Law (“Conditions for the provision of on
demand audio and/or audiovisual media service” provides for:
a. On demand services are not allowed to include programs that
stimulate hatred on the grounds of race, ethnicity, gender, nationality or
religion.
b. On demand audio and/or audiovisual media services, which can
seriously impair the physical, mental or moral development of minors, are
transmitted in encrypted form, so as to ensure that, in normal conditions,
they are not received by minors.
•
Pursuant to Cybercrime Convention, there have been some Amendments
made to Albanian Penal and Procedural Code regarding the contentrelated offences committed through computer systems .
•
There is no secondary legislation to address this area to date.
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NEW SERVICES

Measure taken so far by the respective regulatory authority
against the audiovisual content which is related to child
pornography, racism, xenophobia or approval of crimes against
humanity are the following:
- Adoption of code of ethics from electronic communications
providers for safer internet for children and teenage.
- Filter of illegal content (e.g. child pornography) in Internet
access provided in public schools;
- Guidelines for parental control adopted from different ISPs
(Internet Service Provider),
- Instructions adopted by Commissioner for Data Protection on
child protection in Internet,
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NEW SERVICES
- ITU guidelines published online in the websites of
different institutions such as: NAIS (National Agency
on Information Society), MITIC (Minister of Innovation
and Information and Communication Technology)
- Different awareness activities organized during the
last years from MITIC/NAIS in cooperation with other
stakeholders on safer internet and the necessity of self
regulation practices. Etc.
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Thank
you for your attention!
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