The Independent Media Commission (IMC) held its seventh regular meeting on September 13, 2023, under the leadership of the Chairman of the IMC, Mr. Jeton Mehmeti. According to the agenda, the Commission has dealt with several cases of the nature of licensing, respectively six requests for license renewal, of which four are radio and two are Audiovisual Media Service Providers (AMSP) with transmission through distribution operators.

After reviewing the cases, the Commission decided to approve the radio license renewal requests for Radio Zëri i Shtime, Galaktika, Radio 21 and Radio Tema.

As for the cases for renewing the license of AMSP-s, the Commission has approved the request of 1st Channel and postponed the request of TV Diaspora for the next meeting, due to the incomplete application.

The Commission has also approved the decisions on the establishment of Evaluation Commissions of the applications accepted in the public competition for radio licenses for the location of Vitomirica, Municipality of Peja (in Bosnian language) and Prizren (in Turkish language).

After the licensing cases, the Commission has also dealt with the issue of the position of the Chief Executive Officer, for whom the IMC on July 2, 2021 made a decision to suspend him from the exercise of his duties, because criminal proceedings have been initiated against him and he has been sentenced the measure of detention, whereas on December 7, 2021, the IMC made another decision with which the Chief Executive Officer was extended the measure of suspension, due to the fact that criminal proceedings are being conducted against him, this measure which is still in force.

Chairman Mehmeti requested that since the expiration of the regular mandate of the Chief Executive Officer is near, the IMC should take a position regarding the non-extension of the mandate, namely the non-renewal of the mandate of the Chief Executive Officer. This is because there is still a measure of suspension against the same and the procedures for announcing the competition will start as soon as the legal conditions are fulfilled. Also, Mayor Mehmeti has asked the Executive Office for an explanation about the procedures at that time for the selection of the Chief Executive Officer, as it seems that there is an ambiguity about the decision-making date, namely the holding of the meeting when he was appointed and the date when the decision came into force. The Commission adopted this position.