The Regional Under Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations stressed on Wednesday the Government's commitment to support private media, taking into consideration "the relevant public interest of promoting a plural and dynamic media in the Region."

Rodrigo Oliveira spoke at the end of a hearing at the Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, Environment and Labour on the proposal for regional legislative establishing PROMEDIA III. The government official clarified that the new programme designed to support private media "extends and diversifies support mechanisms in a perspective of improvement and continuity of the support lines established in the previous programme. The new programme also takes into account the consultation process that was carried out with partners in the sector as well as the current situation of companies, which face the negative impact in terms of revenue as a result of the economic context."

For Rodrigo Oliveira, one the goals the Government has awarded priority status concerns the defence of the "employability of media professionals, which should be boosted through the allocation of support and the increase in levels of subsidisation for the maintenance or reinforcement of companies' staff or the number of workers."

The Under Secretary also stressed the "possibility of allowing unemployed media professionals who are registered at regional employment agencies to apply for support measures in the area of professional qualification and increasing subsidisation rates for training."

The proposal presented by the Azorean Government also highlights the increased financial availability of media companies with "the initial payment of 75% of the total amount of the projects developed in the areas of technological modernisation and professional qualification or even with advanced payments, upon request of companies, to support production costs, including energy consumption and communications."

"In the context of the consolidation of private initiatives," the Under Secretary stressed "the introduction of support lines for the organisation of campaigns to add new subscribers and listeners to private media in the Region."

"This legal framework to support regional private media in the areas of technological modernisation, dissemination of information and professional qualification, without forgetting the special support to production, is a major contribution to private companies, providing them with the opportunity of strengthening their action in the context of the current challenges faced by the media sector," stated Rodrigo Oliveira.