The BCC decision to suspend Rossiya 24 channel – criticized by a party, supported by media experts

About 200 members and supporters of the Party of Socialists (PSRM) protested on Monday outside the offices of the Broadcasting Coordinating Council (BCC) against its decision of 4 July, by which it suspended for six months the rebroadcasting of the Russian TV channel Rossiya 24 in Moldova and imposed fines and public warnings on some other channels. Media experts find the BCC decision perfectly justified in terms of professional ethics and legality.

Socialists chanted in front of the BCC offices: “Freedom to the press!”, “Stop censorship!”, “Shame!”, “Dismissal to Pocaznoi!”. They qualified the regulator’s decision as a “gross violation of all legal norms and democratic principles declared by the euro-unionists that are currently ruling.”

Demonstrators warned that if the BCC does not take the issue under examination, in the near future mass protests will be organized on the entire territory of the country. “By means of that decision the public is being prohibited to use different information sources, and people are dispossessed of the most essential thing – the right to choose,” mentioned Ion Ceban, MP representing the PSRM.

Ion Ceban said that he had already asked the specialized parliamentary committee to organize hearings on this issue and to examine the dismissal of the BCC president.

On the other hand, Petru Macovei, the executive director of the Association of Independent Press (AIP), believes that the BCC decision on the temporary suspension of Rossiya 24 broadcasts is perfectly justified, because “this channel is one of downright manipulation.”

Moreover, the media expert finds that the BCC must continue monitoring other TV channels rebroadcast from other countries (Russia, Ukraine, Romania, etc.), especially the ones rebroadcast on frequencies of national coverage. Since these frequencies are public property, belonging to all citizens of our country, it is inadmissible to use them to broadcast programs that misinform instead of informing, Macovei argues.

“I mean the Pervy kanal channel, rebroadcast by Prime TV on a frequency with national coverage and available in practically every household in Moldova. If, God forbid, we find ourselves tomorrow in an information war with the Russian Federation, then the channels rebroadcast from that country will be used for misinformation, because, unfortunately, there is no media freedom and diversity in Russia,” Petru Macovei said.
In the expert’s opinion, it is necessary that the BCC, as a guarantor of public interest, ensure that broadcasters air objective and balanced information, which would lead to greater protection of the domestic information space. “I am against closing TV channels, regardless of where they broadcast from, but, at the same time, broadcasters must comply with the legislation in force, where one of the main requirements is objective presentation of information. Those who fail to comply with the law should be penalized,” the executive director of the AIP concluded.

Cornelia Cozonac, president of the Journalistic Investigations Center, supports the BCC decision on penalizing the broadcasters that misinform the public, but she is reserved about withdrawing the license of Rossiya 24. In the journalist’s opinion, “this measure is a very serious one and it should be used in extreme cases. Citizens must be the ones to choose what media they shall consume.”

According to the Broadcasting Code, the BCC can apply gradual penalties for non-compliance with the law (first, public warning, then fines, exclusion of advertising, etc.). Media experts believe that the BCC should have more powers, which would allow the regulator to impose harsher penalties on broadcasters for non-compliance with legal provisions, especially for manipulation through mass media.