The Legislative Assembly adopted today, by initiative of the Government, the legislation establishing the 3rd Regional Support Programme for Private Media (PROMEDIA III), which will be in force until 2016.

The new programme maintains three support categories already provided in the previous programme: "technological modernisation," "information dissemination" and "professional enhancement". It also establishes a special support for production.

With the entry into force of PROMEDIA III, the increase in the allocation of financial support will be also extended to the islands of Faial and Pico, except in the "professional enhancement" category.

The extension of governmental support to individuals and legal persons or publishers of electronic platforms of regional and local information is another measured introduced by the Government in PROMEDIA III.

The new incentive scheme also provides unemployed media professionals with the possibility of applying for the support measures allocated under the "professional enhancement" category. It also requires the entities benefiting from the support measures in the "technological modernization," "information dissemination" and "production" to maintain their staff or the number of workers.

The increase in the reimbursement of the registration fees (75%) and tuition fees (50%) in the "professional enhancement" category, the additional increase of 10% in the "technological modernisation" category to be awarded to the entities hiring journalists, and the direct payment to the entities providing air transport services are other changes introduced in the new programme.

With this initiative, the Regional Government expects "to assure the sustainability" of regional private media companies, being a response to all those working in this sector.

While drafting this proposal, the Regional Government, taking into account the necessary consensus and consultation with partners and interested parties, has heard the heads of private media bodies in the archipelago with the purpose of collecting their contributions.