“The BCC Chairman Should Learn to Put His Foot Down...”

Journalists have great expectations from the new chairman of the Broadcasting Coordinating Council (BCC) Dragos Vicol, elected to this position on Friday, May 12. The idea was formulated by several representatives of the journalistic community, whom Media Azi asked about their opinion on the new leadership of the broadcasting regulator. Dragos Vicol’s candidacy was backed by seven votes; one member abstained. The office of BCC chairman became vacant after Dinu Ciocan resigned at the same meeting.

Angela Zaharova, producer of “Elita TV” channel: “Before I talk about the performance of the new chairman, I expect him to make some moves, after which we will understand if anything changes in the BCC’s approach to the Moldovan broadcasting and to what extent the change CAN depend on the new chairman of the institution. Looking at the political freedom of this office in Moldova, I do not have great expectations, but I hope that Mr. Vicol will avoid treating small broadcasters disdainfully and, moreover, will recognize their inequality of chances on the media market. And even if it is just an expectation, I’d like him to enter the history of the institution as a chairman who at least tried to come up with proposals in the BCC – or, why not, in the Parliament – that would keep at least some local broadcasters, which are likely to disappear after the transition to digital terrestrial TV. And to ask himself how many of the inhabitants of Moldovan villages will be able to access the digital terrestrial signal from December 31, 2017.”

Vitalie Calugareanu, “Deutsche Welle” journalist: “I no longer believe in miracles. I expect nothing from the BCC or from this government that messed the country up by destroying state institutions. I am not a fatalist, but I still can’t believe that the new BCC chairman is a “good-willed” person who will save Moldova from Russian propaganda and will de-monopolize the broadcasting market. The BCC, in the formula in which it works today, is a harmful institution – a bat in the hand of an oligarch who is currently doing whatever he wants with this country. So, I don’t want to wish success to the new BCC chairman. For them, the words “Good luck!” have a different meaning – one contrary to our national interest.”

Anastasia Nani, editor-in-chief of Anticoruptie.md: “It is known that promotions in Moldova take place according to political criteria, so the probability that the new BCC chairman represents the interest of a party is very high. And the fear is that he could represent the interests of the party that has the most televisions. The chairman and members of the BCC should learn to put the foot down, resist lies and propaganda, and find solutions for the media space to be less polluted.”