The Media in the Activity Program of the New Government: Demonopolisation Among the Priorities

The new Cabinet of Ministers included in its activity program, made public on Friday, 21 July, a number of measures for development of independent media and ensuring fair access to the media space. The outlined priorities include the following: media demonopolisation, ensuring the independence of ‘Teleradio-Moldova’ company, ensuring journalists’ free access to information of public interest and others.
The media demonopolisation is to be ensured by liberalising the advertising market, which would create conditions for the sustainable development of independent media. Other factors which would lead to demonopolisation are as follows: the independence of the TV audience measurement company, banning companies residing in suspicious jurisdictions (offshore), or which do not disclose the real owners of media businesses, as well as promoting the legal framework on financial transparency of media outlets.

There are other media-related measures, envisaged by the Government:
•        Ensuring complete independence of the ‘Teleradio-Moldova’ company from the Government and the exclusion of its political subordination.
•        Raising the effectiveness and independence of the Broadcasting Council by revising the Audiovisual Media Services Code in line with civil society proposals and development partners’ recommendations.
•        Ensuring free access of journalists to information of public interest held by public authorities and institutions.
•        Promoting a tax incentives program for the development of independent media outlets, including those from the regions of Moldova.
The program contains solutions that are to be applied immediately, aimed to base the structural development of the country and society on the European and general human values.

The full text of the Government’s 2019 Activity Program can be found on the Government’s website in the ‘Useful information’ section.