GRT Changes its Broadcasting Schedule, but „Doesn’t Focus on News”

Several shows in the Gagauz language, a new portal and a new logo – such are the first changes approved by the Supervisory Board that the new leadership of the regional public broadcaster “Gagauziya Radio Televizionu” (GRT) is to implement. According to the editor-in-chief of the TV channel, Ivanna Keksal, their purpose is to promote the Gagauz language and to increase the amount of the channel’s own content. On the other hand, lawyer Mikhail Sirkeli, director of the “Piligrim-Demo” Center in Comrat, believes that the role of television is to inform the people, and the new shows will not fill the information gap that the people in the autonomy feel.

Asked by Media Azi, Ivanna Keksal said: “We introduced into the GRT’s broadcasting schedule shows in Russian ‘I like cooking’ (Люблю готовить) and ‘Legal Advice’ (Юридические консультации), as well as three shows in the Gagauz language: ‘GRT visiting’ (GRT Musaafirlitä), and two shows for children – ‘Good night, children’ (Tatlı düşlär) and ‘Skilled hands’ (Becerekli elcääzlär). Having analyzed the old broadcasting schedule, we found that the segment of shows for children had not been covered. At the same time, by increasing the number of shows, we will have more our own content and less rebroadcasts. In Romanian we will keep airing the newscast and the Interview of the Week, as before.”

In addition to these shows, GRT will have a new website and a new logo. Thus, consumers will be able to watch and listen to all TV and radio shows online. The logo and the website are to be launched next week, according to GRT’s editor-in-chief.

Civic activist Mikhail Sirkeli, director of the “Piligrim-Demo” Youth Center in Comrat, claims that the changes in the regional public television’s broadcasting schedule will not contribute to more current information being delivered to the public. In his opinion, a public television should fill the information gap in the region and contribute to formation of healthy public opinion. “Shows for children and promotion of the Gagauz language are good things, but it is just as important to introduce into the schedule political and analytic shows. So far, there has been no focus on the news,” Mikhail Sirkeli commented.

Regional public broadcaster “Gagauziya Radio Televizionu” has had full management since this June. The Supervisory Board chose Vladimir Kilchik as director of the company. After he took the position, he proposed candidates for editors-in-chief: Ivanna Keksal became the editor-in-chief of television, and Galina Maresyeva became the editor-in-chief of radio.