The government plans to amend the Law on Radio and Television Institutions and Publishing Rights (no. 3894) as a supposedly required step on the way to the accession to the European Union. Due to the amendment, the maximum share of foreign capital shall be increased from 25 to 50 percent. Should the amendment be ratified, a foreign private person or a legal entity can become a direct shareholder of two broadcasting institutions.

Another amendment proposes the transfer of supervision from the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) to the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK). Accordingly, provisions regarding special regulations for public and private broadcasting organizations would be lifted.

TRT under RTÜK supervision again after ten years

TRT General Manager Tayfun Akgüner was deposed from office on 9 September 1996 because of an "appeal to the nation" written by Özer Çiller, husband of then Prime Minister Tansu Çiller, in which it was claimed that his wife was involved into crime. After this, TRT aimed at the withdrawal of RTÜK's control and it was lifted in the year 2000. Control would go back to RTÜK after ten years in case the draft bill should be adopted.

State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç and RTÜK President Prof. Dr Davut Dursun held a press conference in the Prime Ministry's Office in Dolmabahçe Palace on Istanbul's European side of the Bosporus on 5 April to introduce the draft law.

Arınç and Dursun: Authorities will be clear

The bill comprises 52 articles and is to be signed by the Council of Ministers. Arınç explained that the draft law will "bring a solution to problems in the sector, remove confusion of authorization related to the regulation, efficiently render broadcasting control to RTÜK and increase competition within the broadcasting sector". Arınç said that the draft law will be submitted to the Turkish Parliament in the coming days.

RTÜK President Dursun indicated that the new bill would end confusion on frequencies. He said that the draft law was prepared in close co-operation with Hidayet Karaca, president of the Television Broadcaster Association (TVYD) and Yusuf Gürsoy, president of the Television Broadcaster Professional Union (RATEM), who supported the bill.

What the draft bill offers

Licenses could be issued to terrestrial broadcast organizations for the first time since 1994.

Numeric i.e. digital frequency tenders would be done within one year. Analogue and digital television broadcasts would be carried out parallel for three years after the assignation of the frequency.

Ownership of radio and television stations would be restricted. Accordingly, the share of a single organization in the media must not exceed 25 percent and a maximum of four channels can be owned.

Institutions in charge of determining numbers of viewers would fall under the control of RTÜK.

The amount of money received from the revenue of advertisement from the broadcasters shall be decreased from 5 to 3 percent. This would be of advantage for local and regional media enterprises. Until now, RTÜK transferred the unused budget to the Treasury. (EÖ/VK)