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According to the legislation, beginning on February 12, 2018, broadcasters and service distributors in Moldova can no longer retransmit information, analysis, political, and military programs from the countries that have not ratified the European Convention on Transfrontier Television. Broadcasters and service distributors were to submit, by February 9, reviewed concepts of program services for approval, in line with the new model and with recent amendments to the Broadcasting Code.
Only 51 televisions out of 60 and 53 radio stations out of 55 submitted for approval their general concepts of program services. Thus, televisions TV Găgăuzia, VTV, TV RAIN, ART TV, AXIAL TV, MOLDOVA 2, PRUT TV, RTR Moldova, and REN Moldova, as well as radio stations GRT FM and ART FM, failed to comply with the new requirements and were sanctioned with fines of MDL 5,000 each.
At the same time, during the examination of the documents submitted by broadcasters, the BCC found some deviations from legal requirements. As a result, 15 televisions and 20 radios will have to revise their concepts, said Lidia Viziru, the deputy head of the BCC’s General Division for Licensing, Authorization, and Monitoring.
All the above broadcasters were granted an additional term, by February 15, 2018, to correct their general concepts of program services.
The BCC Chairman Dragos Vicol noted that BCC employees will conduct unannounced monitoring of broadcasters, in order to see how they abide by the new amendments to the Broadcasting Code, known as the “anti-propaganda law,” which entered into force on February 12, 2018.
We shall remind that non-observance of the broadcasting legislation by broadcasters and service distributors results in fines being applied by the BCC, which range between MDL 40,000 and 70,000, and in case of repeated violations – between MDL 70,000 and 100,000.
Gradual application of the sanctions provided by the Broadcasting Code will eventually be followed by withdrawal of the broadcast license.
