Shura Council approves draft law on Media City

QNA
Doha: The Shura Council, which held its regular weekly meeting yesterday under the chairmanship of the Speaker of the Shura Council, H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud, approved the draft law on the Media City.

The Council discussed the report of the Cultural and Information Affairs Committee on the draft law on the Media City. Under the draft law, the media city has a moral personality and an independent budget aimed at managing and developing media activity and attracting international media, technology companies, research and training institutions in the fields of media and digital media.

Its terms of reference also include granting licences for television and radio broadcasting as well as licences for the publishing and distribution of newspapers, magazines and books for eligible companies.

In its recommendations, the Committee called for creating technical and professional standards and controls to attract high quality media companies, and called for encouraging Qatari investors to give priority to investing in the Media City and taking into account that the Media City does not affect the rights and gains of existing investors in the media field, along employing Qatari graduates and giving them priority with the appropriate privileges.

During their discussions, the members of the Council stressed the importance of respecting the principles, values and ethics in the programmes of companies licensed to work in the Media City and that it be governed by a code of ethics to which these companies are committed. After extensive discussions, the Council approved the draft law and decided to submit its recommendations to the Cabinet.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Council discussed the report of the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee on the Decree Law No 18 of 2018, on amendment of some provisions the of Law on Tenders and Auctions, issued by Law No 24 of 2015. The Council approved the said Decree Law and decided to submit its recommendations to the Cabinet.

The Speaker of the Shura Council briefed the members of the Council about the outcomes of his meeting last Monday with President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Gabriela Cuevas Barron, where they discussed the preparations made by the Shura Council to host the meetings of the 140 General Assembly of the IPU and the accompanying meetings to be held in Doha from 6th to 10th April, 2019. They also reviewed the cooperation relations between the Shura Council and the IPU in various areas of parliamentary work.

The President of the IPU expressed her deep satisfaction with the progress made in arrangements for these meetings and with the keenness of the Speaker and the officials of the Shura Council to provide all the necessities and requirements for the success of these meetings.

The Speaker of the Shura Council was also briefed the Council’s members on the reports of its delegations participating in a number of external meetings.

عقد مجلس الشورى جلسته الأسبوعية العادية اليوم برئاسة سعادة السيد أحمد بن عبد الله بن زيد آل محمود رئيس المجلس.

وناقش المجلس تقرير لجنة الشؤون الثقافية والإعلام حول مشروع قانون بشأن المدينة الإعلامية والذي بموجبه تنشأ مدينة إعلامية تكون لها شخصية معنوية وموازنة مستقلة وتهدف إلى إدارة وتطوير النشاط الإعلامي واستقطاب الإعلام العالمي والشركات التكنولوجية والمؤسسات البحثية والتدريبية في المجال الإعلامي والإعلام الرقمي والتكنولوجي، ومن بين صلاحياتها منح تراخيص البث التلفزيوني والإذاعي وتراخيص النشر والتوزيع للصحف والمجلات والكتب للشركات المرخص لها.

ودعت اللجنة ضمن توصياتها بشأن هذا المشروع إلى الآتي:

-وضع المعايير والضوابط الفنية والاحترافية لاستقطاب الشركات الإعلامية الراقية ذات الجودة العالية.

-تشجيع المستثمرين القطريين وإعطائهم الأولوية للاستثمار في المدينة الإعلامية ومراعاة عدم تأثير المدينة الإعلامية على حقوق ومكتسبات المستثمرين الحاليين في المجال الإعلامي.

-تشغيل خريجي الإعلام القطريين وإعطائهم الأولوية مع الامتيازات المناسبة لهم.

وأكد أعضاء المجلس خلال مناقشاتهم لتقرير لجنة الشؤون الثقافية والإعلام أهمية مراعاة المبادئ والقيم والأخلاق في برامج الشركات المرخص لها بالعمل في المدينة الإعلامية، وأن يحكم ذلك ميثاق شرف تلتزم به هذه الشركات.

وبعد مناقشات مستفيضة وافق المجلس على مشروع القانون وقرر إحالة توصياته بشأنه إلى الحكومة الموقرة.