The Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services (AVMS)said in a press release Friday that it “rejects as incorrect and unfounded the allegations of MMA and MRT for the incorrect treatment of the program services Arena M1, Arena M2 and Arena M3 Premium as foreign program services that are rebroadcast in Macedonia.”
“The Agency acts exclusively within its legal competences in accordance with the Law on Audio and Audiovisual Media Services. The Agency’s actions in this case are based on relevant submitted documentation, as well as information and data received from competent institutions in the Republic of North Macedonia and from relevant foreign entities.
Based on the available documentation and the information received, the program services in question are treated as foreign program services that are rebroadcast, and not as domestic television services that broadcast programs on the territory of the country, taking into account that their source signal is not broadcast on the territory of Republic of North Macedonia.
The Agency particularly rejects the insinuations that its actions enable the circumvention of legal obligations or that there is any illegality in the actions of the Agency and its officials.
If MMA and MRT have alleged evidence of illegal actions by the Agency, we call on them to submit them to the competent institutions. In the meantime, we point out that it is unacceptable to spread unfounded qualifications and insinuations that create the impression of illegal or arbitrary actions by the regulator, solely for the sake of one’s own interests,” the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services said in its press release.
