ANNUAL REPORT 2020 1 Table of Contents AUDIOVISUAL MEDIA AUTHORITY CHAIRPERSON MESSAGE ......................................................... 4 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................ 6 1. AUTHORITY STRATEGY ....................................................................................................................... 11 2. IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS ISSUED IN THE PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION FOR THE ANNUAL AUTHORITY REPORT 2019 ............................................................ 12 3. MEASURES TAKEN PURSUANT TO RECOMMENDATIONS ISSUED BY OTHER CONSTITUTIONAL OR INDEPENDENT INSTITUTIONS TO THE AUTHORITY .............................. 34 4. RECOMMENDATIONS ISSUED TO THE AUTHORITY IN THE EU PROGRESS REPORT AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS ................................................................................................ 37 4.1 EU Progress Report ................................................................................................................................ 37 4.2 Other Reports .......................................................................................................................................... 39 5. DATA RELATED TO AUTHORITY ACTIVITY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE INSPECTIONS OR INVESTIGATIONS, CITATION DECISIONS IN RELATION TO THE LAST YEARS .......................... 40 6. AUTHORITY GOVERNANCE ................................................................................................................ 43 6.1 License/authorization decision-making ................................................................................................ 43 7. THE AUTHORITY AS A REGULATOR FOR A RESPONSIBLE AUDIOVISUAL MARKET ....... 48 7.1 Topical assessment of broadcast content .............................................................................................. 48 7.2 Content Monitoring ................................................................................................................................ 49 7.3 Approach to the piracy phenomenon in audiovisual broadcasting .................................................... 53 8. COUNCIL OF COMPLAINTS ................................................................................................................. 54 9. THE AUTHORITY AND COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE LEGISLATION ........................... 58 9.1 Legal references on which the activity of the institution is based on ................................................. 58 9.2 Completing the necessary sublegal framework for the exercise of ASMP activity ........................... 58 9.3 The need for changes in the legal framework regulating the activity of the institution ................... 59 9.4 Supervision of the frequency spectrum ................................................................................................. 60 10. THE AUTHORITY AS AUDIOVISUAL SECTOR DEVELOPMENT PROMOTER .................... 69 10.1 Engagement of the Authority in the audiovisual market technological development ...................... 69 10.2 Authority contribution in support of scientific research ..................................................................... 69 10.3 Cooperation in audiovisual market regulation .................................................................................... 70 11. SWITCHOVER TO NUMERIC BROADCASTING .......................................................................... 72 11.1 Vacating the Digital Dividend II band .................................................................................................. 77 11.2 Financial compensation in the framework of the digitalization process ............................................ 78 2 11.3 AMA – RTSH Contract .......................................................................................................................... 79 11.4 Frequency spectrum planning and administration.............................................................................. 83 11.4.1 Audiovisual service frequency planning ........................................................................................... 83 11.4.2 Audio service frequency planning ..................................................................................................... 85 11.4.3 Audio/audiovisual band frequency coordination ............................................................................. 86 11.5 Addressing of interference caused by audio/audiovisual operators ................................................... 87 12. THE AUTHORITY’S COMPLIANCE WITH TRANSPARENCY PRINCIPLES AND ENHANCEMENT OF THE INSTITUTIONAL IMAGE ............................................................................... 89 12.1 Internal organization of the institution ................................................................................................. 89 12.2 Transparency program .......................................................................................................................... 90 12.3 Authority’s activities ............................................................................................................................... 91 12.4 Authority’s publications ......................................................................................................................... 94 12.5 AMA in cooperation with partners ....................................................................................................... 94 12.6 Cooperation Agreements ........................................................................................................................ 95 12.7 Publishing of AMA’ Periodic Bulletin .................................................................................................. 97 12.8 Management of human resources performance ................................................................................... 98 13. FINANCIAL INDICATORS AND RESOURCES MANAGEMENT .............................................. 100 13.1 Financial resources management ........................................................................................................ 100 13.2 Realization of sources of funding in 2020 ........................................................................................... 101 13.3 ASMPs financial obligations ................................................................................................................ 104 13.4 Use of financial resources for 2020 ...................................................................................................... 106 13.5 Financial Statements ............................................................................................................................. 109 ANNEX 1 ........................................................................................................................................................... 112 ANNEX 2 ........................................................................................................................................................... 142 3 AUDIOVISUAL MEDIA AUTHORITY CHAIRPERSON MESSAGE Honorable Mr. Speaker of Albanian Parliament, Honorable members of the Parliamentary Committee for Education and Means of Public Information, Honorable Members of the Albanian Parliament, Everyone and everything, including audio and audiovisual broadcasting in our country, had a very unusual year in 2020. The global COVID-19 pandemic has had an effect on the output of audiovisual media service providers (AMSPs), broadcast content structure and catalog, human resources, and economic and financial indicators, with a substantial drop in revenue from advertising and promotion, among other things. The Audiovisual Media Authority (AMA) was active in sensitive issues directly related to COVID-19 implications, such as promoting and educating AMSPs to work with the public health authority in broadcasting information to citizens and institutions about coronavirus prevention, protection measures and protocols, and infection case care. AMSP's response was timely and effective, in compliance with legal requirements, by broadcasting information prepared by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection several times a day, in addition to engaging editorial offices in intensive information on the country's epidemiological situation and clarification of never-before-seen phenomena. Not only did AMA interrupt or minimize its institutional engagement in this extraordinary situation, but it also focused its decision-making on the social dimension. The Audiovisual Media Authority continued to work on projects with media partners, institutions, and organizations and signed agreements with the Ministry of Culture to help joint audiovisual projects and young creators in promoting our cultural heritage. AMA also formed ties with the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination in order to improve interinstitutional cooperation in the field of audio and audiovisual services. In addition, in response to the harmful effects of COVID -19, AMA chose not to collect late payment penalties for obligations paid by AMSPs. In 2021, the Authority will assess how it can further alleviate financial obligations in the audio and audiovisual market's most impacted sectors. AMSP's editorial offices took responsible and thorough measures to protect the health of their staff both within and outside the workplace, as well as to adhere