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On 28 May, the Broadcasting Coordination Council (BCC) imposed a fine of MDL 5,000 on Retro FM radio station for broadcasting statements of the political analyst, Oazu Nantoi, using indecent language within a news bulletin. The sanction was imposed by unanimous vote following the examination of the channel monitoring report. Previously, BCC received a letter from a citizen who requested the Council’s revision on this case.
That request was received by the Council's electronic address, but was not examined on the grounds that it did not meet the petitions law requirements (such as name, surname, domicile and e-mail address of the petitioner).
However, the Council decided to exercise its news bulletin contents control ex officio and monitored Retro FM programs of 25 April 2018, the date when the news was issued.
Following the monitoring, BCC found out that this radio station violated the Broadcasting Code provisions on the audiovisual communication principles, namely the ban on broadcasting programs ‘that could seriously impair the physical, mental or moral development of minors, especially programs containing pornography, exaggerated violence or licensed language’.
According to the Council, Retro FM also breached the law provisions on children protection against the information negative impact, which forbids mass media broadcasting productions with obscene language within the 6:00 - 23:00 time frame.
The radio station management admitted their mistake and informed BCC that severe administrative measures were taken towards those who allowed the news transmission. The management also pledged to avoid ‘such embarrassing cases’ in the future.
Although BCC did not specify the indecent news or expressions which the fine was applied for, the Council member, Artur Cozma mentioned that this could have been the protocol on registering auto-vehicles with neutral registration plates on the Dniester river left bank, signed at the end of April. ‘...Because it was a shock for everyone. First of all, it was a shock for Mr Nantoi. Presumably, he was affected by the Tiraspol negotiations outcome’, Cozma said.
In this context, the portal Deschide.md published Oazu Nantoi's opinion on the registration plates subject, where the political analyst used some indecent phrases, following attendance of the Reintegration Bureau meeting on this subject with the civil society.
