This year, the Government of the Azores allocated a set of support over one hundred and eighty thousand Euros to regional private media companies under PROMEDIA II.

The support measures were mainly allocated in the dissemination category with the purpose of facilitating the spreading of information between the islands and outside the archipelago.

According to the applications already approved under this category in the first quarter of 2012, the "Correio dos Açores" and "Diário dos Açores" newspapers have received the amounts of 34,370.13 Euros and 30,528.68 Euros, respectively.

In turn, Açormédia, the owner of "Açoriano Oriental" newspaper, received 54,287.37 Euros to support its dissemination.

With regard to the private media from Terceira that have applied for these support measures, the Regional Government has approved the allocation of support in the amount of 15,117.50 Euros for "Diário Insular" newspaper; 4,737.66 Euros for "A União" newspaper; and 755.41 Euros for "Jornal da Praia" newspaper.

On the island of Faial, the Government awarded 5470.65 Euros to "Incentivo" newspaper and 1961.25 Euros to "Tribuna das Ilhas" under the dissemination category.

In turn, the support granted to Pico media bodies comprised the applications submitted by "Rádio Canal" with 350.31 Euros; "Ilha Maior" newspaper with 5,409.42 Euros; "Jornal do Pico" newspaper with 2,649.26 Euros and "Rádio Pico" with 94.04 Euros.

In this context, the Government also awarded 1,542.72 Euros to "Club Asas do Atlântico," which transmitter broadcasts from Santa Maria; 890.92 Euros to "Rádio Graciosa”; 5,482.37 Euros to "O Dever" newspaper; 884.59 Euros to "O Monchique" newspaper from Flores; the newspapers "Terra Nostra" and "Açores 9" were allocated 1,238.90 Euros and 9,409.92 Euros, respectively.

Under PROMEDIA II, the second version of the programme that established the allocation of support to the regional private media for the 2009-2012 quadrennium, the global amount awarded last year was of four hundred and sixty thousand Euros.

The support granted under this programme comprises the following areas: "information dissemination" with 411,958.93 Euros; "technological modernisation" with 39,172.12 Euros; "special scheme for media bodies headquartered on the cohesion islands" with 6670.82 Euros; and "professional enhancement" with 1,288.56 Euros.

 Applications submitted and approved under the "Special Support Scheme for the Support of Media Bodies headquartered on the Cohesion Islands" were supported in a global amount of 6,670.82 Euros.

This special scheme, which aims to contribute to the expansion of media bodies from Cohesion Islands, subsidises production costs with power and telephone communications on a monthly basis. In 2011, this measure awarded 5,442.54 Euros to "Clube Asas do Atlântico" and 1,228.28 Euros to "Rádio Graciosa."

The "Technological Modernisation" of regional private media is another category comprised by PROMEDIA II; it is intended to provide these bodies with the necessary tools for the creation of new forms of information display and the renewal of technological means, including the development of new multimedia products or the upgrading of the existing ones. This project also comprises the acquisition of computer equipments and software as well as the development multimedia newsrooms.

Under this specific measure, the Government of the Azores financed the technological modernisation of private media bodies in a total amount of 39,172.12 Euros. This support measure covered the following companies: "Açormédia" with 11,413.84 Euros; "Clube Asas do Atlântico" with 11,465.61 Euros; "Jornal do Pico" newspaper with 4145.84 Euros; "Rádio Lumena" with 3,021.20 Euros; "Nova Cidade" radio station with 2,818.92 Euros, "Baluarte" newspaper with 2,580.75 Euros; "Expresso das Nove" newspaper with 1,876.25 euros; "Rádio Pico" and "Incentivo" newspaper were awarded 1,277.60 Euros and 572.11 Euros, respectively.

Of all the support measures comprised by the PROMEDIA II programme, the "professional enhancement" category was the least sought-after by private media. In 2011, "Rádio Pico" was the only media body to submit an application under this category with an approved support of 1288.56 Euros.

The "professional enhancement “category includes the support to companies or initiatives with the purpose of reinforcing the skills and qualifications of journalists.

Applications for this support measure comprise the allocation of non-reimbursable subsidy for air and maritime travels in national territory; the payment of 50% of registration fee in training courses or 25% of the tuition amount.

Under this category, PROMEDIA II also includes the support to training initiatives promoted in the Region through the allocation of a non-reimbursable subsidy for air and maritime travels in the national territory as well as the payment of 50% of fees in the case of free-admission training courses. If the training course is to be held on the one of the Cohesion Island, this financial support will cover 75% of fees.

The support to "Relevant Initiatives of Interest Regional" is also comprised by PROMEDIA II.

 This measure is intended to promote the implementation of initiatives that focus on themes related to the Azorean reality or communities, estimating the allocation of support up to a maximum of 40% of the running costs; the activities held on Cohesion islands will benefit from a maximum support of 50%.

In 2011, the Government of the Azores did not receive any application under this category of PROMEDIA II.