‘Ora de Ras’ Fined with MDL 5,000 for ‘Obscene Images and Messages’ Regarding the Negotiations Between the Parties and the Visit of the Socialist MPs to Moscow

The Broadcasting Council (BC) fined Jurnal TV with MDL 5,000 (244 euro) for violating the authority’s decision regarding the classification of audiovisual programs aimed at child protection. The decision was made during the BC’s public meeting on 5 June, after examining the monitoring results of the ‘Ora de Ras’ TV show of 21 April 2019, about which the citizen Igor Jibuleac notified the Council.

The petitioner drew the BC members’ attention to the fact that ‘Ora de Ras’ TV show, during its edition of 21 April, launched tendentious messages and images that discredited the honor and reputation of the President of the Republic of Moldova and the socialist MPs, and contained pornography elements.

The monitoring confirmed that Jurnal TV used an obscene language towards the negotiations between the parties and the visit of the socialist MPs to Moscow. The monitoring stated that the report used obscene video sequences from an American movie.

The BC members found the TV station violated the BC decision No 98 of 12 July 2012, which prohibits broadcasters from broadcasting audiovisual works – sex scenes, obscene language or behaviour from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Jurnal TV representatives explained in a letter to BC that ‘Ora de Ras’ is a pamphlet and that satirical language can go beyond the limits of news or debate programs. In his turn, BC Chair, Dragos Vicol, believed that humorous TV shows should not serve as a camouflage for using obscene images.
Such violations may be fined between MDL 5,000 and 10,000 (244 euro – 488 euro). The BC members voted unanimously for the first option.