TCH, member of the European network ACT

“ACT is the association of the biggest commercial televisions in Europe, such as the British ITV, the German Pro 7 and RTL, French televisions, digital platforms, Mediaset etc. This organization covers many problems or issues related with the existence, survival, the future, the expenses and media freedom”, declared Skerdi Drenova, vice General Director of Top Channel.

“Based in Brussels, ACT transmits to the EU representatives all concerns of the media from various European countries, including media freedom, production issues, dishonest competition and possible threats from the international markets, such as the US market. This organization represents the economic and long-termed interests of the European media”, Skerdi Drenova declared.

“For a functional democracy, people need to be informed about what happens, what the politicians say and what is the political debate about. We think that the journalists should be free to exert their duty, without external or internal pressures, as it happens in some countries. We believe that public or private broadcasters must be independent from any government pressures, in order to make a media report, which is the journalists’ duty. This is the main concern here”, declared Utta Tuttlies, ACT Head of Communication.

“We are expected to make the European commercial television’s industry grow. The growing demand in all European countries makes us more reliable for our arguments in front of the European Commission, for protecting our industry. When we received the application from this Albanian TV station, we welcomed it among us with great benevolence. We will have a new member from a country that was missing, for protecting the mutual global interests, because we face different challenges here, but that are the same for everyone, such as copyright issues, piracy or similar matters. Our ambitions at the European Commission are the same. We want to be as many as possible, therefore we welcomed this new television with great pleasure”, declared Philipe Delussine, President of ACT and CEO of RTL Belgium.

“This is the first time that an Albanian broadcaster shows interests, and I must say that we agreed unanimously to have an Albanian member at the ACT, which now is represented by 36 European countries. All present members were impressed by Top Channel’s reputation as an independent and professional news company, and this is exactly the image that we want to transmit at European institutions”, declared Ross Biggam, ACT Director General.

ACT represents the interests of 33 broadcasting companies from 36 different European Countries. 91.7 billion EUR was the value of this television market for 2010, according to the annual report presented during the conference.

50% of this amount has been reinvested by commercial broadcasters, which have increased the European audience with 228 more minutes per day, compared to last year.

The annual market balance of the EU for Television standards, compared with the US market, remains positive with 9.3 billion EUR, according to the ACT annual report.

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