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The BCC report shows that during this period Maia Sandu was the most publicized candidate in the presidential election - 59.2%, and the most publicized political party was PAS - 55.3%. The promotion by the media of Igor Dodon, the candidate of the Party of Socialists, was estimated at 40.8% and of the Party of Socialists – at 44.7%. From the gender perspective, women (52.4%) were publicised more than men (47.6%).
Beyond these figures, the BCC members unanimously ascertained that, throughout the last week of the election campaign, some TV stations used various techniques of disinformation and even intoxication, favouring a candidate or disadvantaging and denigrating the other one.
BCC member, Mariana Onceanu-Hadîrcă, took self-initiative action in relation with the reportages inciting to hatred based on religion that were broadcast by NTV Moldova (Article 6 paragraph (1) of the Broadcasting Code).
Following her proposal, those present at the public hearings watched the story Atac asupra bisericii (Attack against the church) which was part of a news show broadcast by NTV Moldova and was qualified by Mariana Onceanu-Hadârcă as a model of disinformation of the population. In her opinion, the fact that the journalists of this TV station commented on and supported the statements of Marchel, Bishop of Bălți and Florești, is serious. She drew attention to the language of hostility used by the journalist and gave several examples of hate speech, including the final sentence: “On the election’s day, the people will have to make a choice: either the church and all the sacred things, or the devil’s work”.
“I also see the infringement of the same Article 6 paragraph (1) of the Broadcasting Code by the story about the Syrians broadcast by Accent TV”, Mariana Onceanu-Hadârcă said. She proposed that the two stations - Accent TV and NTV Moldova - be punished with the suspension of the right to disseminate advertisement for a period of 4 days. As far as Prime TV, Publika TV, Canal 2 and Canal 3 were concerned, she proposed the maximum fine.
In the view of BCC member, Olga Guţuţui, “what the media did in this campaign was visibly an intoxication of the environment”, therefore they deserve much harsher penalties. In this context, Olga Guţuţui proposed to suspend the broadcasting licenses of NTV Moldova and Accent TV for a three-day period and to withdraw for 72 hours the right of Canal 2 and Canal 3 to broadcast advertising.
Finally, BCC members decided to suspend the right of NTV Moldova and Accent TV to broadcast commercial advertising for 4 days. Publika TV and Jurnal TV were deprived of the right to broadcast commercial advertising for a three-day period. Prime TV, Ren TV Moldova and TV 7 were fined the maximum amount (5 400 lei).
