Department of Monitoring and Evaluation
Q1: Which criteria do the experts worked in the Monitoring and Evaluation Department use in the evaluation of broadcasts?
A1: The experts monitors and evaluates the broadcasts of media service providers in accordance with the Law No. 6112, the by-laws, other laws and the international conventions to which Turkish Republic is a Party to.
Q2: Which medium do the experts worked in the Monitoring and Evaluation Department use in monitoring and evaluation of broadcasts?
A2: Experts monitor the broadcasts through the Digital Storage Archive and Analysis System (SKAAS). By means of SKAAS, the experts could monitor all the broadcasts of radio and televisions stored in the system; analyze the sound and images; make clips through the interfaces of the system when needed and prepare sanction reports.
Q3: Are all the radio and television broadcasts monitored on SKAAS?
A3: The broadcasts of 108 national and satellite televisions, 134 local televisions and 72 radios are stored in the central headquarter of Supreme Council in Ankara. The broadcasts of 75 national and satellite televisions are monitored regularly; the broadcasts of 134 local televisions and some satellite channels are monitored in a rotating manner. Furthermore, upon the notifications and complaints received by the citizens in relation to the broadcasts of local, regional and national radio and televisions, experts request the records of broadcasts from the media service providers if their broadcasts are not stored in SKAAS.
Q4: Are broadcasts monitored simultaneously by the experts in the Monitoring and Evaluation Department?
A4: The broadcasts are monitored through SKAAS both simultaneously and afterward.
Q5: Is it possible to monitor the broadcasts beforehand?
A5: No. It is not possible to monitor the broadcasts beforehand. The broadcasts are only subject to monitoring after they are broadcast.
Q6: In what ways are the broadcasts monitored?
A6: Ex officio monitoring by the experts in the Monitoring and Evaluation Department is applied to radio and television broadcasts. Besides, the experts monitor the broadcasts by evaluating the complaints received from 444 1 178 RTUK Hot Line, RTUK web and RTUK e-mails. Media service providers also uses self-regulatory mechanisms such as viewers’ representatives and broadcasting ethical standards.
Q7: Are the broadcasts during the election times monitored in the same way?
A7: The broadcasts during the election times are monitored and evaluated in accordance with the decisions of High Election Board and provisions stated in the Article of 149/A of the Law No. 298 in the framework of principles and procedures announced by the High Election Board.
Q8: What do the experts do when they identify any infringement?
A8: Experts prepare sanction reports on the broadcast when they are convinced about a violation.
Q9: Are the sanction reports prepared by the experts enough for imposing sanction to the related media service providers?
A9: No, they are not. Experts are only identifying which provisions of the Law No. 6112 are violated. Sanction reports are put on the agenda and evaluated by the Supreme Council which held regular meetings every week. It is the Supreme Council which decides to impose sanctions in accordance with the reports on the broadcasts of related media service providers.
Q10: For how long are the broadcasts stored in SKAAS? Do the media service providers also have an obligation to store their broadcasts?
A10: National broadcasts are stored for one year, others are stored for six months in SKAAS. Media service providers are also responsible to store their broadcasts for one year. Judicial enforcement measures are foreseen for those who fail to keep recordings in accordance with the Article 33 of the Law No. 6112.
Q11: What is the process when a recording of a programme is requested from the Supreme Council?
A11: The requests for the records received from natural and/or legal persons are evaluated in the Monitoring and Evaluation Department. If this request is evaluated as appropriate and the record is available at RTUK, the record shall be reproduced in digital format and shall be sent to the related person and/or organization in return for a fee determined by RTUK every year. If the requested record is not available at RTUK, the record will be claimed from the related media service provider.
Q12: When are the substitute programs broadcast?
A: Substitute programs are chosen and sent to the related media service provider by the related experts to be broadcast instead of the suspended programs during normal times and/or election times.
Q13: What are the public spots and obligatory broadcasts?
A: Public spots are public service announcements advised by the Supreme Council and broadcast free of charge. The provisions such as type of application and duration are regulated by the “Public Spot Directive”. Obligatory broadcasts are the broadcasts which are mandatory in accordance with the laws; prepared by the public institutions and sent with RTUK’s consent to the media service providers in order to be broadcast.
Q14: Is viewers’ representative mandatory for the media service providers?
A: Viewers’ representative mechanism adopted by the national TV channels as a result of discussions with the Supreme Council and applied voluntarily since 2006 has become mandatory for all broadcasters after its entry into force of the Law No. 6112.