BCC Issues Warning to Accent TV for Lack of Objectivity

The Broadcasting Coordinating Council (BCC) issued a warning to the Accent TV television and will continue monitoring it for violation of consumers’ rights. The BCC President Marian Pocaznoi said at the public meeting on Tuesday that in a program hosted by the journalist and former BCC member Corneliu Mihalache Accent TV failed to ensure objective information when discussing the history textbook of the Cartier publishing house.

The Cartier in Moldova Director Gheorghe Erizanu had previously notified the BCC, expressing his disapproval with the program broadcast on 6 November 2013 by Accent TV, which, according to him, committed violations of the norms of ethics. Accent TV representatives said, however, that the program “In direct” (Romanian for “On the air”) is an opinion program, and the views expressed in it are those of the host and his guests. Also, Accent TV considers that the topics discussed during the program are not in contradiction with the Broadcasting Code.

The BCC monitoring showed that the program, which had the Party of Communists’ Inna Supac as a guest, discussed a history textbook of the Cartier publishing house, and Mihalache claimed that everything in it is an experiment on children and that its authors are not honest. At the same time, the host said that some information in the textbook had been coined, especially about the events of 7 April 2009.

Following initial monitoring, the BCC found that the station violated the provisions of Article 10 (5) of the Broadcasting Code, according to which broadcasters must ensure objective information to consumers and encourage free formation of opinions. It also revealed some deviations from the Journalists’ Code of Ethics (Article 2 (7)), according to which journalists must make clear distinction between facts and opinions and not present their own opinions as facts.

“In this situation, Mr. Mihalache imposed only his own opinion, and with the guest of the program (…). However, in this case the journalist or the TV station had no right to express their own opinion or make comments. The TV station must only inform consumers of programs and citizens of Moldova,” Marian Pocaznoi said.

The BCC president thus announced that the station will receive a warning, as it is its first violation of this kind.