Without REM Council's Advice: Over a hundred complaints against broadcasters and 59 requests regarding broadcasting licenses are pending.

According to the information on the REM website, which this body references in its response to UNS, there have been 16 applications received from November 5 until the end of 2024, 94 in 2025, and in 2026, up to the time of publishing this text, three.

“All applications received by REM have been published on the REM website, as well as all reports prepared by the Expert Service,” REM responded to us.

During the same period, REM also received “25 requests for broadcasting licenses and 34 requests for license extensions,” it was stated to UNS.

However, all these applications and requests are pending, as the decisions regarding them, according to the Law on Electronic Media, are made by the REM Council, which has not existed for almost a year and three months.

Media that have submitted requests for license extensions and whose licenses have since expired may encounter problems because without a license, they will not have the right to participate in competitions for project co-financing, nor in tenders and public procurements.

This could seriously jeopardize their operations, especially concerning local media that often survive thanks to these revenues.

It should be noted that, under the Law on Public Information and Media, the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications, autonomous provinces, and local governments are obliged to announce media competitions by March 1.

A condition for participation in the competition is that electronic media have a broadcasting license.

Complaints and decisions regarding licenses are not the only matters awaiting the new Council.

As confirmed to UNS by REM, the Annual Supervision Plan for 2026 has not been adopted because the Council has not been appointed.

According to the Law on Electronic Media, this plan was supposed to be adopted by December 20, 2025.

“It will be adopted after the appointment of the Council,” REM states.

It should be noted that at the beginning of 2025, while operating without a Council, REM began publishing reports on its website prepared by the Supervision and Analysis Service of this body, based on applications filed against broadcasters to REM after November 5, 2024.

Until then, access to these reports was only available to members of the REM Council, who made final decisions on applications during meetings.

The previous practice at REM was that upon receiving a complaint against a broadcaster for violating media laws and subordinate regulations, the Supervision and Analysis Service would prepare a report and forward it to the REM Council, which would make a final decision on the applications during its meetings.

However, although the reports from the expert service are now available to the public, this does not mean they have legal effect. Decisions on applications must still be made by the REM Council.

Source: UNS