TRT's digital platform Tabii found to be unlicensed!

It has emerged that TRT's digital streaming service Tabii has been operating without a license. This situation was clarified by an official response from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to a parliamentary question submitted by DEM Party Diyarbakır MP Sevilay Çelenk. The Ministry stated that no licensing process has been conducted regarding Tabii.

The development was reported by Ceren Bayar of T24. According to the report, Çelenk recalled that a regulation enacted in 2019 made it mandatory for digital platforms to obtain a license, stating, "As a result of this regulation, digital platforms such as Netflix, BluTV, MUBI, Puhutv, and GAİN have both been forced to pay license fees and have been placed under the supervision of RTÜK. While RTÜK frequently intervenes and imposes fines on digital platforms due to their content, the fact that no action has been taken regarding TRT's Tabii platform has led to public debate and criticism."

ÇELENK: "IS THERE A SPECIAL EXEMPTION FOR TABİİ?"

In her parliamentary question, MP Çelenk inquired about the licensing status of TRT's digital platform, Tabii. She also asked whether there was any exemption decision by RTÜK regarding Tabii.

MINISTRY RESPONSE: "NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN"

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism stated in its response to the question that organizations providing media services and digital platforms must obtain a broadcasting license or transmission authorization from RTÜK in order to broadcast.

The response emphasized that all digital broadcasters are subject to this obligation under the "Regulation on the Presentation of Radio, Television, and On-Demand Broadcasts via the Internet," adding, "No action has been taken to date regarding the TRT Tabii platform."

The Ministry also explicitly stated that there is no exemption decision regarding TRT Tabii.

SUPERVISION UNDER RTÜK'S RESPONSIBILITY

The response further noted that the responsibility for monitoring and auditing Tabii lies with RTÜK, stating, "Monitoring and auditing activities are carried out by the relevant units."

The Ministry also reminded that digital platforms such as Netflix, BluTV, PuhuTV, and GAİN have applied to RTÜK to obtain broadcasting licenses and transmission authorizations.

News Source: 12punto