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The information space of Moldova needs to be protected from the propaganda of Russian televisions retransmitted in our country, both leaders of the Pro-European Coalition and some civil society representatives said recently. In this sense, members of the Liberal Reformatory Party (LRP) registered a draft law on modifying the Broadcasting Code so that 80% of the televisions and radio stations in Moldova broadcast in Romanian.
According to the authors of this document, this initiative aims, among other things, at protecting the information space of the country. However, although media experts recognize that the information space of Moldova is at risk of being intoxicated, they have different opinions on the need to amend the legislation.
Media expert Ion Bunduchi believes that the current Code does not need modifications; instead, it needs to be abolished and a new one needs to be written. Bunduchi told Media Azi that Moldovan authorities never gave enough attention to the role of the country’s mass media and information space. “It explains the lack of a clear strategy or vision on the development of mass media and information space. Who could now say exactly whether Moldova did or did not lose informational sovereignty? No one could. They would rather be afraid to say that this sovereignty had never been achieved,” Bunduchi explained.
He considers that the LRP initiative is welcome, but it is not sufficient. “By changing the Code a sentence per year one cannot achieve radical positive change of the situation. You cannot make reform by half-measures. In fact, if certain provisions of the current legislation were complied with, there would be no need in the 80% initiative,” Ion Bunduchi added.
Olivia Partac, expert in media legislation, also said that reports of events in Ukraine by Russian televisions were similar to those during the Transnistrian conflict in the 90s. “This problem dates back to 1992, to the war in Transnistria, when the only correct information about it was broadcast by the Moldova 1 television. But everyone sought information from Russian channels. […] Now we have the same story as back then,” Partac said.
Olivia Partac believes that the current legislation of Moldova contains enough provisions allowing the Broadcasting Coordinating Council (BCC) to make decisions that might influence the retransmission of channels with a propagandistic content. Partac claims that the BCC had precedents, when it prohibited broadcasting pornographic channels to protect minors. “The Broadcasting Code prescribes the obligation to observe the pluralism of opinions. Any broadcast must have two sources and cover facts objectively. Thus, the BCC can perform analyses and make decisions, for example, on the aspects concerning correct information for the public. Even the Constitution, in Article 34, requires that mass media provide correct information. […] I believe that there are levers,” Partac said.
She added that Moldovan authorities do not react promptly in these situations due to the politics towards Russia and the country’s energy dependence. Concerning the draft proposed by the LRP, Partac warned that a large number of Moldovans might show their displeasure if some Russian channels are no longer retransmitted, given the composition of the local population and their preferences.
The director of the Union of Cable Broadcasters Vladimir Topal was also skeptical about the LRP initiative, but for other reasons. He believes that there are no alternatives to support the 80% share of channels in Romanian – Romania can offer a maximum of 13-14 channels for retransmission. Instead, Topal said he was in favor of complete prohibition of retransmitting foreign televisions by means of state-owned frequencies and of doing so only through cable, because they “kill Moldovan broadcasting.”
“We retransmit brand foreign televisions, including some from Romania. We use state-owned frequencies, take all advertizing that exists in Moldova on large channels and do not allow it onto the local market. This is how business works in our country. This is Moldovan television. We are unknown in Romania and in Russia. But we are killing Moldovan broadcasting because we use foreign brands on state-owned frequencies and transmit foreign ideas,” Topal said. He believes that cable operators should be those who retransmit foreign televisions. “Viewers shouldn’t be limited in their right to choose televisions,” Topal said.
We shall remind that MPs representing the LRP have recently registered a draft law requiring that 80% of channels retransmitted on the territory of Moldova be in Romanian.
Following the recent events in Ukraine, the sealing of the Moldova-EU Association Agreement in November 2013, the announcement of the Pro-European Coalition about the intention to sign the Agreement in August 2014, and the declaration of Tiraspol leaders about the possibility of annexing the Transnistrian region to the Russian Federation, both politicians and media representatives raised the issue of protecting the information space from Russian propaganda.
Moldova is currently retransmitting a significant number of Russian televisions: NTV through TV7, Pervy Kanal through Prime TV, RTR, Vesti, Rossiya 24, TNT, REN TV, as well as numerous channels of films and TV shows, channels for children, thematic channels (Discovery and National Geographic are also broadcast in Russian), etc. At the same time, a report produced by the journalist and analysts David Satter of the Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA), launched in January, shows that the information space of Moldova is still dominated by Russian mass media.
Similar discussions are taking place in Ukraine, too. On 10 March, the broadcasting regulatory authority of Ukraine asked the providers of cable services to stop broadcasting five Russian televisions on the territory of the country: Vesti, Rossia 24, Pervy kanal, NTV-Mir, and RTR-Planeta. An official decision on prohibiting these televisions has not been adopted yet.
Photo source: http://clrvue.com
