AKEL on the Cyprus Radiotelevision Authority (CRA) budget
Statement by AKEL MP Marina Nicolaou after the meeting of the Parliamentary Internal Affairs Committee
17 February 2022
We discussed today in the Parliamentary Internal Affairs Committee the budget of the Cyprus Radiotelevision Authority for 2022, in the presence of the Director of the Authority and a representative from the Ministry of Interior. We are pleased to see that a small operating surplus exists in the budget for 2022, which makes the Authority self-reliant for another year. We welcome the Authority’s longstanding work, particularly the effort it continues to make in the areas of child protection, but also in everything to do with Media Education.
The Cyprus Radiotelevision Authority informed us that among its strategic objectives is the creation of the first Audiovisual Education Centre in Cyprus, modelled on a similar centre currently operating in Hungary. This Centre will operate in the building where the Evrychou Police Station was housed up until recently. The building was provided for this purpose free of charge by the Local Community Council of Evrychou. The Centre will also be able to serve students in the field of broadcasting production and for internship purposes, but also for training in how to produce audiovisual programmes, how to recognise the messages hidden in an advertisement and how to identify fake news both in the broadcasting media and on the internet.
Furthermore, during the discussion of the Authority’s budget, the Committee also addressed the issue of administrative fines collected by the Authority for any possible infringements of the legislation by television and radio stations. The issue is also of concern to the Ministry of the Interior and the submission of possible legislation is being considered so that the amounts collected from administrative fines can go to a special fund, with a different use, and will not form part of the revenues of the Radiotelevision Authority. The goal, however, is that the Cyprus Radiotelevision Authority can continue to be operational and self-reliant.
