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This map shows the main local TV channels that committed to reflect the 2019 Parliamentary election campaign.
Thus, out of the 57 TV channels that have submitted statements to the BC on whether they would or wouldn’t reflect the current election campaign, Media-azi.md identified 20 local TV channels and stations located in single-member constituencies, outside Chisinau municipality.
Media Concentration in the Gagauz Autonomy
The Gagauz Autonomy has the highest number local TV channels that committed to reflect the election campaign. The public TV channel GRT, ATV, ENI AI TV, TV Bizim Dalgamiz and TV Cocuk are among them. Note that two single-member constituencies – No 45 and No 46 – were opened in this region.
Note that TV Cocuk belongs to RTV-MEDIA-CENTER company, founded by Elena Ianac and Mihail Rotari. Its central office is located in Comrat, on 55 Pobeda Street, ap. 2. ATV TV channel, owned by BIZIM AIDINIC company and founded by Elizaveta Rotar, is registered at the same address. According to their statements, even the phone numbers are the same.
Besides, on the BCC website, at the transparency section, it is mentioned that ATC Cocuk is owned by BIZIM AIDINIC company.
The ENI AI TV channel is owned by ENI-AI company, managed by Vladimir Lazarev. The beneficial owners of ENI AI TV channel are: Vladimir Lazarev, Elena Lazareva, Commercial production studio RADIO POLI-DISC.
Bizim Dalgamiz TV channel is owned by BIZIM DALGAMIZ company, and its owners are Semion Lazarev, Elena Lazareva and Maia Sadovici. TV channel’s address is in Comrat, on 160 Lenin Street. Although the central office of ENI AI is located on 4 Tretiacov Street, both Bizim Dalgamiz and ENI AI indicated the same land-line phone number – 0 298 24169.
Other TV Channels in the Southern Region
In the southern region of the country, in Taraclia district (single-member constituency No 44), there is NTS local TV channel belonging to URANIA FM company, owned by Natalia Vasilevschaia.
Cimislia has the Media TV channel, owned by Pro MEDIA company, led by Andrei Bargan. The same constituency also includes Basarabeasca district, where BAS TV channel is located. The latter belongs to LV-TOPAL company, owned by Vladimir Topal. Cimislia and Basarabeasca are part of the single-member constituency No 40.
Local TV Channels in the Central Region
In the center of the country are located four local TV channels and one TV studio of Canal 2 Nisporeni TV channel.
Thus, Studio-L Causeni TV channel, which belongs to Studio-L company, founded by Ghenadie and Vera Lupacescu, is located in Causeni, the single-member constituency No 35.
Albasat TV channel and Canal 2 TV studio are located in Nisporeni, the single-member constituency No 17. Albasat TV belongs to Albasat company, owned by Maria Saharneanu, Lilia Tibuleac and Nina Bardan, and managed by Efim Bardan.
Canal 2 has a local station in Nisporeni, registered under Telestar Media company, owned by Oleg Cristal, the advisor of PD leader, Vladimir Plahotniuc.
According to the monitorings carried out by the Independent Journalism Center and the Association of Independent Press, and by the Broadcasting Council, Canal 2 TV channel, both by the amount of allocated airtime and by the positive connotation, predominantly supported the election candidate of the Democratic Party on the national constituency and its candidates registered in the single-member constituencies. Note that PD leader, Vlad Plahotniuc, is on the list of parliamentary candidates.
Also in the central region, in Orhei district, two local TV channels committed to reflect the election campaign – Orhei TV and Central Television, owned by Media Resurse company, the beneficiary of which is Rita Tvik, known as the author of ‘Viata si destinul’ [Life and destiny] biographical book, about Ilan Sor’s father, Miron Sor.
According to the monitoring reports, Orhei TV and Central Television TV channels mainly reflected ‘Sor’ Political Party election candidate, both by the allocated airtime and the positive connotation. Note that one of the candidates in the single-member constituency No 18 Orhei is the chair of ‘Sor’ Political Party, Ilan Sor.
TV Channels in the Northern Region
In the North of the Republic of Moldova we identified seven local TV channels – Elita TV, Flor TV, SOR TV, TV Drochia, BTV, NORD TV and TV PRIM.
Thus, Elita TV has its central office in Rezina district, the single-member constituency No 13. Elita TV local channel belongs to ‘Cooperativa Molodosti’ company, owned by Ana Golubenco.
FLOR TV channel broadcasts in Floresti, the single-member constituency No 8. It belongs to FLOR-TV company, owned by Valeriu Postolachi and Igor Iacicurinschi.
SOR TV local channel broadcasts in Soroca, the single-member constituency No 7. It belongs to MAR-SOR company, with Violina Cernatinschi being its owner and single founder.
TV Drochia channel broadcasts in Drochia, the single-member constituency No 6. It belongs to SATELROM-TV company, founded and managed by Vera Bulgaru.
BTV and NORD TV channels committed to reflect the election campaign in Balti municipality (single-member constituencies No 9 and No 10). BTV channel belongs to TV BALTI company, owned by Maria Raracean, Alexandr Junghina, Iuri Malih, Margarita Preachina and Eduard Rodiucov.
The TVN TV channel belongs to NORD TV Company, founded by Eugeniu Munteanu.
Although its central office is in Chisinau, TV Prim channel broadcasts in Glodeni district, the single-member constituency No 5. The channel belongs to MEGAN TV Company, owned by Angela Maican and Arcadie Maican. Note that Rodica Nemerenco also runs for the single-member constituency No 5 on behalf of ‘ACUM’ Electoral Bloc, who indicated in the statement to the Central Electoral Commission that she is a TV producer at TV Prim in Glodeni.
Media experts highlighted that the single-member constituencies in the Republic of Moldova were created with no regard for the citizens’ access to information. ‘Certain constituencies lack media outlets. How can voters obtain information in a situation when at least 11 constituencies have no newspapers, no radio, no TV? How can we have free and fair elections and well-informed and conscious votes?’ the Executive Director of the Electronic Press Association, Ion Bunduchi asked during the ‘Local Media: Quo Vadis?’ Conference, held in May 2018, in Chisinau.
