Private TV station still fined for advertisement

TIRANA, Sep 30 – The National Council of Radio and Television (NCRT) did not change its decision after complaints of the fine by News24 television station.
The NCRT fined local news station TV News24 for broadcasting an advertisement by an association G99, which was an ironic spot that referred to a previous spot by the premier for his government’s achievements.
The NCRT claimed it was against the law to broadcast spots of political parties when there are no election campaigns and imposed a fine of 800,000 leks.
The G99 association said it was not a political force and as such, the article does not apply. They protested against the decision, claiming it was a political one.
The People’s Advocate (ombudsman) also supported the claim of the TV station, stating that the NCRT had not followed the proper administrative procedure and suggested a change in the law, in order to allow for greater freedom of expression.