Moldova's Audiovisual Council sanctions two TV stations for lack of local programmes

Chisinau, 13 December /MOLDPRES/ - The members of the Audiovisual Council (CA), at a today’s meeting, ruled to sanction with fine the TV stations Premiera TV and Next TV for the infringement of the provisions of the Audiovisual Media Services Code (CSMA). The overall sum of fines amounted to 130,000 lei. 

According to CA, following the monitoring carried on 11-17 November, decision-makers found out that these TV stations had not broadcast local programmes, in line with the provisions of the CSMA.  ‘’Premiera TV broadcast a single local programme with a duration of 03 hours, 05 minutes, out of the weekly needed duration of at least 56 hours of local audiovisual programmes.’’  

„Next TV broadcast zero local audiovisual programmes on the concerned period,’’ reads the CA’s report.   

CA president Liliana Vitu said that the results of the monitoring showed a persistent tendency in the native audiovisual space and namely that many applicants for licence promise to exactly observe the CSMA provisions regarding the local product; yet, afterwards, they broadcast content preponderantly of Russian production and/or in the Russian language, register zero or an insignificant share of local product. Vitu stressed that, in the relevant circumstances, the beneficiary of information is the worst hit, as he/she is deprived of stories and programmes about events in Moldova.  

CA members Eugeniu Ribca and Larisa Turea voted against the sanctioning of the aforementioned TV stations in most infringements detected.  

The two TV stations were sanctioned in last August for the non-observance of the same norms from CSMA.