The Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission (MMBC) has published a revised policy governing the allocation of state funds to media outlets in the Government Gazette.

The new policy, released on Thursday, was developed in consultation with media organisations and introduces several changes aimed at expanding eligibility and enabling more outlets to receive financial support. A key amendment relates to registration requirements. Under the previous framework, media outlets were required to have operated for at least three years to qualify for funding. The revised policy removes this restriction, making all media outlets registered before 1 January 2024 eligible for consideration.

The policy sets out clear criteria for the allocation of funds, with assessments based on the duration of operation, number of employees, type and quality of content produced, staff qualifications and experience, and administrative arrangements.

Under the scoring system, up to 10 marks are allocated for the duration of the media outlet, 15 marks for staffing levels, 30 marks for content and content type, and 10 marks for the educational background and experience of employees. Administrative arrangements account for the remaining 20 marks.

Detailed guidelines outlining how marks are awarded under each category are included in the policy tables published in the Gazette.