TIRANA, Sept. 12 – One day after turning off Tirana’s analog antennas, the Authority for Audiovisual Media postponed for another four months the decision to shut off analog broadcasting completely as a result of public protests and complaints and the opposition’s pressure.
“We have decided to restart analog broadcasting. For those who purchased the decoder, digital broadcasting will be made possible, while those who are yet to purchase one will be given four months time to do so, as the deadline will be extended to January 15, 2019,” an announcement by AMA said.
The head of AMA Gentian Sala counted almost 700 complaints from citizens when announcing the temporary restart of analog broadcasting.
The opposition called the government’s decision to cut off analog broadcasting – coming from the Dajti Mountain antennas – thus forcing citizens to buy digital decoders if they want to watch any TV station, an added tax burden.
“Based on World Bank reports, it turns out that more than half of Albanians live in poverty. At a time when each citizen pays his TV equipment tax through his electricity bill, we consider this an added ‘taxation’, which is both not affordable and unnecessary, while the need to buy a decoder that will ensure access to information is abusive. We must bring to your attention that the state and its institutions have the obligation not only to recognize rights formally, but also to guarantee them in practice,” the opposition’s request to postpone the AMA decision, signed by head of the Media Commission Albana Vokshi, read.
Yesterday, AMA turned off analog broadcasting for Tirana, Durres, Kruja and Kavaja. This decision penalizes all local, and some national, TV stations that have yet to make the transition to digital broadcasting.
The country’s Prime Minister Edi Rama reacted immediately after AMA’s announcement, congratulating them for the decision to resume analog broadcasting briefly.
“The application of European standards is a necessity, but we cannot turn off the old system without ensuring access to the new one for everyone,” Rama’s announcement read.
