Shboul announces new broadcasting licence regulations for TV, radio

AMMAN — Minister of Government Communications Faisal Shboul on Saturday unveiled the government's initiative to amend the broadcasting and rebroadcasting licence regulations for television and radio, in addition to revising the fees supervised by the Media Commission.

In a meeting held on Saturday with editors-in-chief of daily newspapers and directors of official media channels, Shboul, who is also the government's spokesperson, noted that this move stems from a directive from the prime minister, backed by a comprehensive study conducted by the Media Commission. 

The main objective of the proposed amendments is to reduce the existing fees, thereby creating an encouraging investment environment in the media sector, he noted.

The proposed changes will include a significant reduction in broadcasting and re-broadcasting fees for both radio and television platforms, as well as a recalibration of satellite communications equipment licencing fees, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

This effort to support the media sector follows a series of recent strategic decisions, which include ensuring support for print newspapers. Other initiatives include the pre-payment of advertising commitments and a significant increase in the value of government and tender announcements in print dailies.

The media sector comprises a total of 63 operational units covering both visual and audio media, including 22 television stations, 39 radio stations broadcasting within the Kingdom and two rebroadcasting stations.