NCRT attacks Top Channel

Mrs. Bushati declared in an irresponsible way that Top Channel had not paid the licensing fees for 2011.

“I reiterate that with the finances that we have today, we can secure 5 months of wages for the employees”, Bushati declared.

The Socialist MP, Ledi Shmaku: “You say that the National TV operators have not paid the licensing fees. Can you specify which of them?”

Bushati: “TV Klan has not paid the licensing fees, Top Channel has paid them for 2009, 2010, but not for 2011. Top Albania Radio has not paid them. Vision Plus has paid the satellite fee, but not for Tring Satellite. The problematic shows are “Zone e Lire”, “Portokalli”, “Big Brother”. As regards these programs with a big audience, there are complaints about the respecting of ethics and legal obligations in other local TV operators”.

For respecting the public, Top Channel declares with full responsibility that all financial obligations have been fulfilled towards NCRT, as it is shown by the documentation and the bills, which state that the annual payment of 6.8 million ALL has been paid.

The biggest gaffe made by Mrs. Bushati was when she tried to correct it after the session at the Parliamentary Commission, which shows that the best scenario is that she was presented in front of the MPs unprepared, and on the worst case scenario, she has misinformed them intentionally, for reasons that only she can explain.

TCH journalist: You said that Top Channel is one of the TV operators that have not paid the licensing fees in 2011. Has Top Channel paid them?

Bushati: No, I said that they did not pay them on time. Top Channel has paid the licensing fees, but not on time.

TCH: Currently, Top Channel is one of the TV Stations that…

Bushati: Yes, they have fulfilled all obligations.

Another untrue declaration of Mrs. Bushati was for ethical violations made by Top Channel.

TCH: You said that Portokalli and Big Brother have violated ethics, while they are international formats. What ethics has been violated and have you sent any complaint to Top Channel?

Bushati: We have sent complaints about “Portokalli”, while for “Big Brother” we understand that it is under evaluation by the Directory of Programs, and there have been moments when the residents of Big Brother have violated the ethics while communicating with each other, which could negatively affect the mental health of children.

We have had consequent complaints against Portokalli, and also for some other programs. We have sent the complaints”, declared Bushati in the Commission, during a debate with the Socialist MP, Alfred Dalipi.

Again, with the fee payment issue, outside the Parliamentary Commission Bushati corrected the accusations against Top Channel, showing the lack of ethics of a public official about the TV operators.

TCH: Have there been specific ethics violation, and where?

Bushati: There used to be a lot in the past. We have made several objections and now the situation is much improved.

As Chairman of the NCRT, Mrs. Bushati has not mentioned a single case of ethics violation. As regards the public and the irresponsible attacks, Top Channel is obliged to declare once again that no complaint has ever arrived in Top Channel during 2011 for ethics violation, for neither of the above mentioned programs.

Before bringing these accusations to the public, Mrs. Bushati should had at least specified the cases of ethics violations, and prove when the official complaints had been sent to Top Channel, rather than damaging its image.

Top Channel demands the NCRT Chairman to officially deny the unfounded attacks that have damaged the image of Top Channel in front of the public. Otherwise, Top Channel will address to the respective institutions for restoring the damaged image.

NCRT: Chairman’s declaration, a misunderstanding

NCRT reacted with a press release this Tuesday after Top Channel’s request, by informing that the declarations of the NCRT Chairman, Endira Bushati, should not be presented detached from the context in which the discussion was.

More concretely, as regards the comment of the television operator, about the delays in the payment of the obligations, the NCRT has raised the concern for the limited financial means of the NCRT, and the problems for not paying the financial obligations on time by the operators.

The declaration continues by explaining that one MP asked the NCRT chairman to mention the names of the national operators, and the Chairman has mentioned Klan, Top Albania Radio and Top Channel TV.

But since the Chairman’s speech was interrupted by some MPs, which made the communication tenser, it was impossible for her to further explain Top Channel’s delay for making the payment, and making only a partial payment by the Top Albania Radio, the declaration adds.

As for the ethics violation of Portokalli and Big Brother, NCRT says that there have been complaints by the public and different associations, but without mentioning the names of these associations.

As result of these complaints, the explanation continues, Top Channel was investigated on May 2011 for the Portokalli show, about copyright permissions. This investigation ended with a fine against Top Channel on December 2011.

Since the purpose of the NCRT was not to penalize the operators, but to bring them to harmony with the legal request, although the copyright violations were proved on January 2012, the fine to Top Channel was pardoned by the inspectors, the Chairman adds.

Even after this declaration of the NCRT, Top Channel feels obliged to explain to the public that we have fulfilled all financial obligations. As regards the administrative investigation mentioned in this declaration and the fine against Portokalli, Top Channel declares that the administrative investigation is not ethics related, but for the usage of some video clips on the show, which are copyright related.

After the fine, Top Channel appealed the decision by presenting the agreement signed with the State Film Archive for 2011.

 For this reason, NCRT was obliged to cancel the previous decision for a fine, rather than pardoning it, as NCRT wrote with an unanimous decision of 5 members.

NCRT uses this occasion to remind all operators to pay the financial obligations before going to emotional declarations, according to the laws.
 

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