Strengthening Independent Minority Media (SIMM)

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

• US Agency for International Development (USAID)

IREX has been implementing media programs in Kosovo since 1999 under the ProMedia program, the Kosovo Independent Media Program (KIMP), the Kosovo Media Assistance Program (KMAP), and now through the USAID-funded Strengthening Independent Minority Media (SIMM) program.

Project Activities

• Link and Strengthen Minority Broadcast Media. IREX will create and maintain a system that utilizes internet technology to link the news and information production of its Serbian-language TV partners. In addition to building a Serbian-language television network, IREX will support the existing KOSMA radio network and facilitate new and active content producers.

• Business and Financial Management: IREX will institute professional development plans for the business management of the network member stations. Audience surveys will allow the stations to develop their advertising sales and improve the rates they charge.

• Professional Development and Training for Media Practitioners: A professional development program for journalists and media practitioners aims to improve the quality and content of news broadcasts. A monitoring program is in place to determine the level of success. A parallel training program is under way for local broadcasters

• Strengthen Independent Media Enabling Institutions. IREX works with local associations to ensure that the legal and regulatory framework in Kosovo supports fair and transparent broadcast licensing, enforces regulation, and promotes an environment to support and protect the free speech rights of all media and journalists.This includes monitoring the Independent Media Commission’s (IMC) proper implementation of the broadcast relicensing process and providing assistance to the Minority Media Fund (MMF) to ensure its operations and grant-giving procedures are fair and transparent.

PROJECT HISTORY
Throughout past programs IREX helped the two Kosovo-wide independent broadcasters to develop their business sustainability and increase their capacity as professional broadcasters and assisted the development of a transmission system (KTTN), which has now been commercialized and is operating as an independent business. Local radio and television stations and individual journalists benefitted from the IREX competetive grants program and used the funding to increase local news production and create programming on social issues of import to Kosovo including youth, women’s issues, and minorities. With the extensive improvement in the national independent broadcasters and local Albanian-language radio and television stations, IREX will turn its attention to minority langauge, especially Serbian-language stations across Kosovo.

PROGRAM CONTACT
For more information about SIMM or other IREX media initiatives e-mail media@irex.org.