Esteemed Members of Parliament!
The year 2024 has been a year of extensive engagement in various work processes, aimed at further enhancing AMA’s monitoring and regulatory role effectiveness in the Albanian audio and audiovisual market. In addition to strengthening internal institutional capacities for improved functionality, the primary focus of the Audiovisual Media Authority has been to further align its work with the standards of a regulator in a European Union member state. This alignment serves to ensure a more transparent and pluralistic audio and audiovisual market, offering audiences a diverse range of high-quality media products.
Our key priorities and objectives are also reflected in AMA Strategy 2024 – 2026, approved in February last year, which lays out a well-structured action plan that aims to:
- Promote and support professional standards in audiovisual broadcasting, based on international best practices;
- Ensure and foster diversity and pluralism in audiovisual broadcastings;
- Encourage a proactive approach to responsible broadcasting, driven by the public interest;
- Continuously improve the quality and effectiveness of AMA’s monitoring and regulatory role.
This objective has been successfully achieved thanks to the Authority’s operation as a fully independent entity in the exercise of its duties, in full compliance with the legal framework. I emphasize this fact with the argument that the institution is led and governed by a Board composed entirely of members proposed 100% by civil society and approved by the Parliament, despite occasional claims voiced by various actors, including civil society itself.
During this mandate, the institution has taken around 500 decisions, over 60% of which were approved unanimously through formal voting, a clear indication that the Board’s decisions are guided solely by the law.
Among these decisions are 9 procedures for the broadcasting frequencies allocation, 123 licenses/authorizations granted or renewed and 11 election campaigns monitoring covering local, general, or partial elections across various municipalities in the country. Within these 500 decisions in total, I can mention 24 different bylaws, 9 license/authorization revocations etc. Importantly, none of these decisions have been contested as being politically influenced, neither by civil society, the industry, nor political parties.
Building on these priorities and with a clear commitment to further improving the audio and audiovisual market, during 2024, AMA’s work and activities have focused on several key processes, among which I would like to highlight the following:
Firstly:
The further alignment of our national legislation with that of the European Union. Within the framework of fulfilling periodic obligations related to the national legislation alignment with the EU acquis in the audiovisual media field and in line with the commitments undertaken by AMA under the National Plan for European Integration 2024 – 2026, in April 2024 the Authority adopted, through Decision No. 40, the Regulation “On the criteria and procedures for reviewing changes in ownership structure and the transparency of data related to audiovisual media service providers ownership”. This important bylaw, specifically addresses ownership structure transparency and the declaration of other data related to the license/authorization held by audiovisual media service providers. It represents an initial step toward aligning the Regulation with the European Media Freedom Act provisions and transposing Directive (EU) 2018/1808.
The Regulation, which is implemented rigorously by AMA’s internal structures, introduces several innovations, including:
- Review by AMA of changes in the ownership structure within the same audiovisual media service provider legal entity, holder of a license or authorization issued by AMA, which do not result in the transfer or assignment of rights deriving from the license or authorization;
- Review of changes in the ownership structure between private legal entities of audiovisual media service providers, in cases of entering into civil legal relations that result in the transfer or assignment of rights deriving from the license or authorization;
- Declaration of information regarding the ownership structure composition of the audiovisual media service provider legal entity, holder of a license or authorization issued by AMA, including the ultimate beneficial owner;
- Enhanced transparency regarding the origin of funding sources used to carry out capital stakes of each partner/shareholder;
- Declaration of any potential conflict of interest that may influence the activity of the audiovisual media service provider by its owners.
- Declaration of revenues from advertising, donations, sponsorships, etc., received by the beneficial owner from public legal entities for the purpose of media promotion etc.
Beyond the legal regulation, AMA has also developed and published on its official website a graphic presentation of the ownership structure for all licensed or authorized entities/individuals. This includes full transparency on direct or indirect beneficial owners of entities operating in the audio and audiovisual market in the Republic of Albania, thereby fulfilling one of the key obligations within the European integration process. The database, presented in graphic form, is based on a model selected among European regulators, specifically inspired by the Portuguese ERC, following the signing of a MoU between the two institutions.
Furthermore, in December 2024, within the same framework of fulfilling periodic obligations for the national legislation alignment with the EU acquis in the audiovisual media field and the commitments stemming from the National Plan for European Integration 2024 – 2026, AMA adopted another significant bylaw, the Regulation “On the specific requirements that Video Sharing Platform providers must meet for the establishment and provision of transparent, effective and user-friendly systems”. This Regulation specifically regulates the legal framework for Video Sharing Platforms (VSPs). It aims to regulate the general conditions for the audiovisual content offerings by users on such platforms and does not affect supporting services of audiovisual broadcasts, with the main purpose of ensuring programs that serve information, entertainment, or educational purposes.
The Directive 2018/1808 of the European Parliament and the Council transposition into Law No. 97/2013, “On Audiovisual Media in the Republic of Albania”, as amended, demanded the inclusion of specific provisions in the Broadcasting Code addressing the Video Sharing Platforms (VSPs) activity. This was reflected through the amendments and additions adoption to the Broadcasting Code by Decision No. 128, dated 23.12.2024. This regulatory intervention not only fulfilled a legal obligation but also represented an additional step toward clarifying the Authority’s competences and responsibilities in relation to Video Sharing Platforms, as well as structuring the procedures for handling complaints and reports concerning identified violations on these platforms.
Following the latest amendments to Law No. 97/2013, “On Audiovisual Media in the Republic of Albania”, as amended, which aimed to fulfil the obligation to transpose Directive 2018/1808 of the European Parliament and the Council, the Audiovisual Media Authority competences were expanded to include Video Sharing Platforms. Despite the absence of direct jurisdiction, due to the fact that no such platforms are registered in the Republic of Albania and considering the Albanian users interests, in June 2024, an official communication was initiated between AMA and the TikTok platform. The purpose was to establish a dedicated reporting channel for harmful content and commercial communications intended to pirate Albanian audiovisual products. The discussions were finalized in August with the conclusion of a Cooperation Agreement, based on AMA’s regulatory functions and TikTok’s willingness to protect Albanian users of the platform. As a result, a dedicated reporting channel was created, through which the Authority intermediates the referral of complaints submitted by Albanian users concerning harmful content, accompanied by the respective legal justifications regarding the identified violations. In this context, AMA had previously opened a dedicated section on its official website, enabling the public to submit complaints regarding harmful content published on TikTok. As a result of this cooperation, during the period August – December 2024, based on user reports and collaboration with the platform, a total of 286 videos containing inappropriate content were removed. Of these: 20 involved acts of violence, 3 contained hate speech related to sexual orientation, 2 involved religious hatred, 31 depicted criminal acts, 110 exposed children to pornography, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or violence, 107 incited violence and hatred and 13 contained audio with language exceeding moral and ethical standards. As has been consistently emphasized, the piracy of Albanian audiovisual products remains a particularly concerning phenomenon. For the same period, August – December 2024, TikTok blocked 1,505 videos and closed 193 accounts reported for piracy. During this timeframe, AMA teams reviewed a total of 743 videos for harmful content and 1,513 for piracy-related violations.
Esteemed Members of Parliament,
According to the Rule of Law Roadmap, a key policy document of the Albanian state, AMA has been assigned, among other responsibilities, the task of addressing issues related to media market concentration, increasing transparency and ensuring audience measurement. AMA’s engagement, as the regulatory authority in this regard, is focused on supporting audiovisual media service providers in ensuring a transparent process. To enable institutional-level Audience Measurement, AMA has undertaken the initiative to promote and facilitate this process. Specifically, during the period January – February 2024, AMA organized three roundtables with audiovisual media service providers and communication and marketing agencies, with the aim of discussing the modalities for implementing the Audiovisual Audience Measurement process in the Republic of Albania. AMA has also contributed to the development of the methodology and the framework for establishing and practically implementing a system capable of conducting such measurement. During these roundtables, AMA presented participants with the best practice methodologies applied in EU Member States and the region. As a result of the extensive discussions among participating representatives, an agreement was reached to establish the Joint Industry Committee (JIC), composed of 9 members, according to the following formula:
- 3 (three) representatives from nationally licensed private television stations;
- 3 (three) representatives from regional television stations;
- 1 (one) representative from the Albanian Public Broadcaster (RTSH); and
- 2 (two) representatives from marketing agencies.
Following an encouraging process for all parties, under AMA’s guidance, JIC, as a fully organized entity with all relevant stakeholders, has proceeded with the next step, its registration in court. This step will enable the practical start of the Audience Measurement process, serving as an important instrument, among others, for identifying the media’s impact on the wider public.
Another key objective of our work is the Media Literacy process. In the framework of protecting the best interests of the child, the Council of Complaints carried out during the past year a campaign on Digital Parenting, focusing on the preschool age group, engaging parents and educators from kindergartens across Tirana. This campaign was implemented in cooperation with the General Directorate of Kindergartens and Nurseries of the Municipality of Tirana. It involved 21 kindergartens across 11 administrative units of Tirana, targeting children aged 5 – 6, a group selected due to their developmental characteristics and their need for guidance in navigating the audiovisual and digital world, on the threshold of an important stage in their lives such as starting school. Meetings were organized with parents and educators, where discussions focused on Digital Parenting, the protection of children from online risks and ways to guide them to make the most of technology. Around 500 participants took part in these sessions, including 12% educators, 14% grandparents and 16% fathers. As part of this audiovisual campaign, 23 awareness-raising videos were produced, aimed at sensitizing the public to the responsible use of audiovisual and online media, including topics such as audiovisual environment signaling, digital parenting, balanced internet use, digital risks, the protection of personal data in digital environments, etc.
AMA has continued to prioritize the Media Literacy process throughout 2024, by publishing on its official website and social media platforms a series of videos and other awareness-raising materials focused on the responsible use of the internet, protection from fake news, recognizing and avoiding disinformation, the proper use of Artificial Intelligence, the protection of children and young people from hate speech and the risks associated with online gaming, etc.
With regard to the work carried out by the Council of Complaints, it’s worth highlighting the handling of 349 complaints during the reporting period. The majority of these complaints, 59.5% of the total, concerned the best interests of the child. When categorized by issue, the complaints addressed were as follows: 15.2% related to the violation of the victim’s dignity; 8.9% concerned privacy violations; 8.6% involved the right of reply; 5.7% related to gender discrimination/sexism; another 5.7% to violations of dignity; and 1.7% to the depiction of acts of violence, etc. Regarding the complaints administration, the Council of Complaints requested explanations from audiovisual media service providers in 25.2% of cases. Administrative proceedings were concluded with a “Call for Attention” in 11.9% of cases, while in 2 cases, they were closed with a financial sanction. In 6.7% of decisions, the Council concluded the proceedings in favor of editorial freedom.
One of the Authority’s key responsibilities, in serving the public through the program content monitoring, is the thematic review of broadcast material. Throughout 2024, AMA examined a total of 241 cases concerning the legal compliance of broadcast content, focusing on aspects such as: the protection of children from inappropriate content; hate speech and discrimination; gender equality; ethical violations in general; advertising and commercial communications; the use of standard written and spoken Albanian; compliance with warning signage during designated time slots; the overall programming of the RTSH platform in line with the Public Service Contract requirements, etc. As a result of this content review process, in 77 cases AMA issued 62 “Calls for Attention” to audiovisual media service providers and in 15 cases, imposed “financial sanctions”.
During the period January – December 2024, AMA’s Monitoring Studio operated with 48 recording units dedicated to the digital broadcasts monitoring. In addition to audio and audiovisual entities, the platforms Digitalb Satellite, Digitalb Terrestrial, Tring Satellite and Tring Terrestrial, etc., were also subject to monitoring. Throughout the year, a total of around 420,000 hours of audiovisual broadcasts and around 34,500 hours of audio transmissions were recorded. The advertisements monitoring on national audiovisual entities covered 24,564 hours of programming. Regarding the complaints review, handled by the Monitoring and Analysis Directorate, during 2024, the Monitoring Studio received 9 requests or complaints from various entities for further follow-up.
Regarding the respect of broadcasting rights, during 2024 the Authority carried out a significant number of on-site inspections of cable/IPTV/OTT operators. Additionally, there were innovations in the way controls were conducted, as specialists from the Inspection and Supervision Directorate also monitored online networks, identifying numerous cases of abusive audiovisual products sales. Following the identification of these violations, AMA formally reported the cases, with supporting evidence, to other law enforcement institutions, including the State Police and where appropriate, the Prosecutor’s Office. As a result of this well-coordinated effort and based on the evidence provided by AMA, a successful operation was conducted in December 2024, leading to the apprehension of several individuals involved in the illegal production and distribution of audiovisual products. Additionally, all complaints/requests submitted by operators concerning interference with or violations of broadcasting rights by cable/IPTV/OTT providers were addressed by the Authority. Responses were provided to all complaining parties and appropriate measures were taken in cases of violations. It’s noteworthy that the vast majority of complaints regarding infringements of broadcasting rights in 2024 were related to the television piracy phenomenon, carried out by entities not authorized by AMA to provide audiovisual services primarily Internet Service Providers (ISPs) distributing pirated television content via the internet. Recognizing this as a concerning phenomenon, AMA initiated, in September, a nationwide series of consultations with licensed operators. These roundtables focused on identifying the challenges and concerns faced by cable operators, as well as fostering mutual collaboration to fight this phenomenon. The concerns raised by operators were addressed by the Inspection and Supervision Directorate and thanks to on-site inspections conducted by working groups, a significant number of ISP operators engaging in illegal audiovisual activities were identified. Following these findings, AMA took action to shut down more than 20 servers broadcasting audiovisual content without rights and enabled the sanctioning of 3 ISP entities operating in violation of Law No. 97/2013, as amended.
For the year 2024, AMA requested that the Electronic Communications Regulator take the necessary measures to shut down 346 online pages that were found to be in violation of the law, specifically engaging in the unauthorized sale of products.
Regarding inspection activities, the Inspection and Supervision Directorate at AMA, through its inspection teams, conducted 393 inspections of audiovisual media service providers during 2024. Of these, 220 inspections were carried out following complaints submitted by audiovisual content rights holders, while 173 were conducted as routine monitoring. Following the inspections and the corresponding administrative procedures review, 11 decisions were issued imposing fines on audiovisual media service providers found to be in violation of the law, while in 9 other cases, the “Call for Attention” measure was applied. Throughout 2024, the Inspection and Supervision Directorate was especially focused on monitoring compliance with broadcasting rights for feature films and sports events across various paid platforms and programs. A total of 1,168 hours of monitoring were conducted during 2024 to ensure respect for broadcasting rights related to feature films and sports events.
In summary, I can inform you that during the audio/audiovisual market supervision and regulation, following the violations identified among audiovisual media service providers throughout 2024, AMA has issued 48 administrative fines and 107 “Calls for Attention” measures.
In addition to these processes, as part of its legal mandate, during 2024 AMA continued the awareness and information campaign “Speak Albanian”, aimed at improving the use of spoken and written language in audio and audiovisual broadcasts. The campaign directly contributes to enhancing the editorial teams’ professional standards. The initiative was launched at the beginning of 2024 with an inclusive roundtable bringing together journalists and linguists, titled “Speak Albanian – Let’s Protect and Cherish the Albanian Language” and its primary objective was to raise awareness among media professionals about the importance of preserving the Albanian language and avoiding the use of foreign words. Periodically, AMA has published on its official website and social media pages examples of foreign words or incorrect formulations commonly used by journalists, accompanied by their proper Albanian equivalents and correct linguistic forms. The findings and outcomes of this initiative are also reflected in the program “Fol Shqip Show”, broadcast in Kosovo and North Macedonia.
During 2024, AMA held a series of meetings and participated in international conferences with EU institutions and counterpart regulatory authorities across the region and Europe, while also concluding several Memorandums of Understanding. In June, at the 59th meeting of the European Platform of Regulatory Authorities (EPRA), the oldest network including 57 regulators from both the European Union and the wider Europe, the majority of member countries voted in favor of my candidacy for the Vice-Chair position of the network. Other notable participations include meetings organized by the European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services (ERGA), the Black Sea Broadcasting Regulatory Authorities Forum, the European Audiovisual Observatory, WorldDAB, the Mediterranean Network of Regulatory Authorities, the Global Forum of Networks, also known as the UNESCO Global Forum, etc. Furthermore, Memorandums of Understanding were signed with the Turkish regulator RTÜK, the Polish regulator KRRiT and the Portuguese regulator ERC. The main pillars of these collaborations focus on Media Literacy, Audience Measurement, public opinion research and the methodology for monitoring audiovisual content.
An important aspect of AMA’s work during 2024 has also been the strengthening of institutional capacities to ensure effective internal functioning. One of the key projects undertaken was the establishment of a new IT infrastructure based on hyper-converged nodes (HCI), providing high capacity and advanced technology for resource management and data storage. A comprehensive annual maintenance plan was developed and implemented for this infrastructure. Measures were also taken to ensure high system availability and to minimize downtime, through continuous 24/7 monitoring and regular training sessions for IT staff.
During 2024, the Monitoring and Analysis Directorate was reorganized, strengthening its human capacities for the audiovisual broadcasts monitoring and expanding qualitative assessments related to discrimination, hate speech, various forms of disinformation, electoral processes, etc.
The process of digitizing the archival documentation of the archive-protocol unit was also completed, enabling greater efficiency and a significant reduction in document circulation time within the institution. Furthermore, the institution has digitized all its activities, which are continuously published on its official website and managed through a centralized Content Management System (CMS).
The Publishing and Engagement Directorate at AMA has also developed an automated system for the collection and analysis of data on audiovisual media service providers, thereby eliminating the previously time-consuming and labor-intensive manual process of coordination and record-keeping. With the implementation of this new platform, AMA has achieved data automation and centralization, enhanced efficiency in information processing and analysis and enabled the audio and audiovisual market real-time monitoring.
AMA continues to publish its Periodic Bulletin to ensure transparency regarding the audiovisual sector in Albania, providing analysis on economic trends, ownership structures, technical aspects and staff characteristics. The 10th edition, covering the year 2023, includes data on the financial performance of television stations, radio broadcasters and cable platforms. A special focus has been dedicated to the digitalization process and internet accessibility for persons with disabilities. Collaboration with various partners active in the media field has supported the Authority in implementing projects aimed at improving reporting standards in audiovisual media, enriching professional literature, standardizing employer–employee relations and raising awareness on key current issues.
Esteemed Members of Parliament,
In AMA’s Annual Activity Report, you’ll find a detailed overview of all aspects of the institution’s work, both by organizational units and in relation to the realities and challenges faced by the audio/audiovisual market in our country. This concrete reflection of AMA’s operational dynamics is consistently framed in relation to the public specific needs and expectations, as well as in full alignment with the standards upheld by a country determined to achieve full membership in the European Union.
Thank you for your attention!
