Informing Public Through Assembly TV Channel (MK0200)

Brief description of the commitment

The Assembly will continue the reform with the full functionality of the parliamentary channel. Informing the public through the Assembly TV channel must be of high-quality, timely, regular, predictable, through non-editable content, live broadcasts, and transmission of recordings from plenary sessions and committees, councils and other activities, but also through design and production of own content from the Assembly TV studio. The general goal of this commitment is to increase the viewership of the TV channel or indirectly increase public information about the legislative agenda.

Defining a problem

4. What problem does the commitment address?

Communicating with the public on the legislative authority through its own television channel is a classic solution for communicating with a live camera and sound or with a recording. In this sense, the Assembly worked on the modernization of the Assembly channel, through laws amending the Law on the Assembly, with the purchase of modern equipment where 250,000 euros were invested and the employment of a professional staff of 7 people. The implementation of the commitment will enable its own content and production of a functional TV channel for the Assembly to communicate with a category of citizens who are informed about the Assembly in this way (in parallel with the website, social networks or media coverage on national televisions). Modernization and digitalisation in society over the years has made a change upon which citizens have been informed mainly from national televisions, and much less from the Assembly TV channel about what is happening in the legislature. According to some studies, there is a category of older citizens who follow the Assembly TV channel more, and a larger part of the younger population who are informed in a different way.

2. What are the reasons for the problem?

The reasons for this go to the easily accessible modern ways of informing through television and especially through internet portals and related news from portals to social networks. Accurate information is also important for the fight against fake news and partial and biased information. The drop in viewership of the Assembly TV channel is also related to the quality of the broadcasting itself, which has lagged behind due to lack of investment over the years. The lack of its own program such as debate shows, legislative news, etc. makes the program unattractive when there is no live broadcast from the session or recordings of working bodies.

Description of the commitment

1. What has been done so far for the problem to be solved?

This commitment is a continuation of the commitment from the previous OGP Assembly Action Plan 2021-2023. Equipping the studio with modern broadcast equipment was a priority and a challenge for the service to describe, conduct and implement it as a project involving equipment, operations and premises. In addition, changes in the legal framework were necessary, and in that sense, amendments were implemented to the Law on the Assembly, where the work and competencies, the annual work program, annual plan for the type and content of the programs, the relationship with MRTV, financial and investment plan, editorial responsibility, etc. were determined more closely. The work of the studio is necessarily connected to a professional staff as well, therefore, according to the Act on the Systematisation of the Service of the Assembly, new positions were projected, and an announcement was made on two occasions for 7 vacancies.

2. What solution are you proposing?

The commitment projected here will enable the development of a concrete program for the work of the Assembly channel, together with the establishment of the Council of the Assembly channel which should approve all documents. The Council of the Assembly channel is a legal obligation that the TV channel of the legislator is jointly managed by the majority and the opposition. According to the law, the Council is managed by the Vice-president of the Assembly from the opposition, together with deputies from the majority and the opposition, a representative of MRTV, but also the possibility of appointing external experts with the right to speak without the right to vote. In addition to that, it will be necessary to develop content for communication with the public, which will be produced independently and/or with co-production, involving several organizational units. In this sense, we expect to develop daily legislative news, program predictability, legislative briefs/short multimedia contents in an explanatory role for the proposals for the viewers, etc., debate shows between MPs, etc.

3. What results do we want to achieve by implementing this commitment?

The general result of the commitment is that the proposed solutions are implemented and the Assembly channel functions. An indirect result should be an increase in viewership of the Assembly TV channel. The way in which citizens are informed is continuously monitored by the Institute for Democracy Societas Civilis in relevant surveys and studies, and that data will be taken as relevant over the years to monitor the viewership trend. https://idscs.org.mk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/A4_ENG-ANKETA-2022.pdf

Analysis of the commitment

1.How will the commitment promote transparency?

The implementation of the commitment will signify predictability of the daily agenda of the Assembly channel (maybe of the weekly one as well). In this way, it will offer a calendar in advance for interested citizens to follow. Educational content will educate citizens on the legislative power. Debate shows will confront views and arguments. The legislative brief will provide an explanation of the proposals.

2.How will the commitment help to encourage responsibility?

The presence itself in a public medium helps with the sense of responsibility for what is done and said. The implementation of the activity will be directly monitored by the quality of programs on the Assembly TV channel.

3.How will the commitment improve the citizens’ participation in defining, implementing and monitoring of the solutions?

As part of the program activities, there will be short informational attachments for citizens, such as how to come to the Assembly and register for an open day, how to register for participation in educational activities (Children's Parliament, Imam Stav), etc.

Planning the commitment (Milestones | Expected outputs | Expected Completion date)

Formation of the Council for the Assembly channel Engaging external experts in the Council Adoption of the work program Creating content for broadcasting Equipment and training of the staff Engagement of coproduction | 2024-2026 throughout the entire duration of this action plan