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What the BCC Will Look Like After the Adoption of the New Broadcasting Code

04 January 2018
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The draft of the new Broadcasting Code, renamed into the Code of Audiovisual Media Services of the Republic of Moldova, includes a number of new provisions concerning the Broadcasting Coordinating Council (BCC), which will change its name to the Broadcasting Council (BC).

Overall, nine different entities will have the right to nominate and appoint members of the BC. Thus, the Broadcasting Council will consist of one member nominated by the Independent Journalism Center at the suggestion of representative media outlets, the Filmmakers Union at the suggestion of creative unions, the Association of Advertizing Agencies at the suggestion of organizations working in the field of advertizing, the People’s Advocates at the suggestion of organizations working in the field of human rights protection, and the Academy of Sciences at the suggestion of the scientific community.

The other four members will be proposed by the parliamentary majority, the parliamentary opposition, the President of the Republic of Moldova, and the People’s Assembly of Gagauz-Yeri.

A novelty introduced by the draft law is that no more than five out of the nine BC members shall be of the same gender. Also, there will be no age limit, in contrast to the current Code, which stipulates that a person may become a candidate for BCC if he/she is 25 years old and has not reached the legal age for retirement.

At the same time, candidates for membership in the Broadcasting Council must speak Romanian and at least one international language and must not have, directly or indirectly, financial interests among suppliers and distributors of media services, electronic communications, or advertising companies.

Vasile State, executive director of the APEL Association and one of the experts of the working group improving media legislation, pointed out during the presentation of the draft, held in December 2017, that the current members of the Broadcasting Coordinating Council shall continue to perform their powers until the end of their terms, and new members shall be appointed in accordance with the new requirements.

The draft also provides that the chairman and vice-chairman of the BC may be dismissed from office on the proposal of at least 6 members of the Broadcasting Council, by secret voting.

The BC members shall be appointed by decision of the Parliament, with the votes of 2/3 of MPs, for a single six-year term. The Broadcasting Council shall be renewed gradually.

The draft of the new Broadcasting Code was developed by national and international experts of the working group improving media legislation, and it is currently open for public consultations.