On the occasion of the 15th anniversary, the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, today visited the Broadcasting Council (BC), and met with the President, Zoran Trajchevski and with members of the Council. The meeting discussed the current situation in the field of electronic media, as well as the activities of the BC. The discussions focused on the challenges facing this regulatory body, in particular the problems with regard to the cable televisions.

“The Broadcasting Council is one of the first regulatory bodies in Macedonia and was an example of how these bodies should function. A period of various challenges and different influences is behind, but, today, the BC is really a respectable institution. It was assured of this today by inspecting the process of monitoring of all TV and radio programs, and the proposed solutions to the new situations that occur in the cable operators, which are not regulated yet and are not in the competence of the Council”,  President Ivanov said after the visit.

President Ivanov, during the visit, was acquainted with the process of implementation of the Law on Broadcasting, with the procedure for monitoring of broadcasters and operators of public communications networks. The president and members of the Council informed the President of the projections for the functioning of the BC in the future with new technologies and new media.

“Congratulations on the achievements the Council has made so that our media room is really regulated and functions as required by the European standards and principles. As these adjustments and reforms required by the EU are being implemented, the Council assumes the true role that such a body in the society should have”, President Ivanov said.

During the visit we also discussed the issue to which certain viewers reacted, namely why football matches are not transmitted in Macedonian language, which is due to the work of the cable operators, an area that needs to be regulated.

In context of the situation with the cable televisions, the President of the BC, Zoran Trajchevski, informed that the Council proposed legislative solutions acceptable to overcome the current situation.

"We hope that for a short period of time all these weaknesses that arise in the field of regulation of cable televisions will be overcome", Trajchevski said, adding that the BC in the past 15 years has contributed to the development of the Macedonian democracy in the field of media development.

He noted that for him and for the members of the Council the visit of the President at its 15th anniversary is a great honor.

The Head of State is authorized to propose members of the Broadcasting Council.