41 media eligible for financial assistance from state

Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission (MMBC) states 41 private media outlets are eligible for financial assistance from the state.

MMBC, on Monday, said 41 out of 57 media outlets, which underwent profiling for financial assistance from the state, met the necessary requirements.

The Commission added that the marks awarded to media outlets can be accessed via its portal, adding that a total of MVR 27.9 million will be issued to eligible media outlets. This accounts for 0.1 percent of the state budget.

MMBC noted that it accepted three out of the eight complaints received by the deadline to submit applications for financial assistance.

In scoring media outlets, MMBC evaluated:

• Number of employees  
• Proposed business plan  
• Type and scope of content  
• Educational level and experience of staff  
• Administrative arrangements

The Ministry of Youth, Information and Arts initially rolled out the funding scheme and shortlisted 18 media outlets for grants. However, the list was withdrawn following intense scrutiny, particularly after it emerged that Sangu, a media linked to Minister Ibrahim Waheed (Asward), were set to receive MVR 5.1 million in total; MVR 3.8 million for Sangu TV and MVR 1.3 million for Sangu Online.

Some industry veterans expressed concern over the fairness and transparency of the process, stating that the points must reflect the number of employees, societal impact, pension and salary practices, and scope of coverage.

The responsibility for administering the grants was subsequently transferred to the newly formed media commission, which has previously stated it aims to disburse the funds before the end of the year.

State funding for the media was one of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s electoral pledges, with the government committing 0.1 percent of projected annual budget revenue to support registered private media outlets.