About the IMC
The Independent Media Commission (IMC) is the independent broadcast regulator in Kosovo. The purpose of a broadcast regulator is to distribute a scarce public resource – the frequency spectrum – fairly, openly, in a way that best serves all the people of Kosovo. It promotes ethical and technical standards among Kosovo's broadcast media. It applies a body of regulations that hold local broadcasters to European standards of professionalism and fairness in their news coverage. Through the administration of its broadcast frequency plan, the IMC also strives to maintain fairness in competition among broadcasters. The IMC's activities include monitoring broadcast coverage of current events, commenting on media-related legislation, evaluating complaints, and enforcing its regulations and the terms of its licenses. The IMC encourages the development of strong, professional and financially secure public and private media. It must ensure that media respect the rights of the people to free expression and diversity of opinion; and the rights of the people to fairness and accuracy, not only in news but in advertising. It also ensures that media protect the interests and sensitivities of children, the rights of minorities and the varied cultures that make Kosovo a unique place in Europe. And the IMC must do all this in an open, consultative style of work that wins the respect both of the public and the broadcasters. The IMC is composed of three separate bodies: the Council, the Office of the Executive Chief and the Media Appeals Board. :: The IMC's Principles Only a limited number of frequencies are available over which radio and television broadcasters can transmit their programs. Every democratic society therefore needs a rule-of-law process for ensuring a fair allocation of frequencies among broadcasters. According to the Euro-American tradition of broadcast regulation, the spectrum of broadcasting frequencies is a public resource that belongs to all of society. Since all of society should therefore benefit from the use of this resource, regulators seek to promote broadcasting that serves the public good in some way. Because print media do not rely on a public resource, they are not subject to licensing. Instead they are usually regulated by professional standards of journalism and laws on libel, hate speech and freedom of expression. The IMC modeled its licensing policies and procedures on the best practices of other European media regulators. Article 19, an international NGO that promotes freedom of expression, has summarized many of these core issues in its paper on Principles of Broadcast Regulation. The Council of Europe has also outlined key principles for media regulation, including fairness, professionalism, transparency and independence from political and commercial influences. This has been formulated in the Council of Europe's Recommendation 2000(23). As these documents show, media regulation should not be confused with censorship. The carefully limited regulation of media content about enforcing professional standards of journalism, not telling media what they should or should not broadcast. Media have a duty to present issues from all sides, fairly and accurately. Broadcasters must also refrain from broadcasting material that might endanger an individual's safety, or that carries a high risk of endangering the public good, such as by inciting violence. For more information on the principles that Kosovo broadcasters are required to uphold, you can read the Broadcast Code of Conduct on our legislation page. :: European Standards The IMC has made its commitment to European media standards concrete by joining the European Platform of Regulatory Authorities (EPRA), a professional association of more than 40 agencies throughout Europe. The IMC has also signed a cooperation agreement with other media regulators in South East Europe. European standards in media have been defined by the Council of Europe and have been supported by the European Commission. The IMC consults regularly with these organizations to ensure that it is following appropriate European standards. |
