Media watchdog sanctions Moldovan TV channels for violating regulations on covering electoral campaign

Chisinau, 14 November /MOLDPRES/- During a today's meeting of the Audiovisual Coordination Council (CCA), four TV channels were fined for having repeatedly violated the Regulations on coverage of election campaign for the 30 November parliamentary polls in mass media.

Thus, for violating the regulations, such TV channels as: Prime, Publika TV, Canal2 and Canal3 were sanctioned with a maximum fine of 5,400 lei, Jurnal TV – medium fine -2,700 lei and Euro TV – minimum fine – 1,800 lei.

According to the report, on 30 October – 8 November 2014, the TV channels broadcast 662 materials, covering 27 electoral contenders there. Thus, the ruling parties got 24.6 per cent, and the opposition and extra-parliamentary ones gained 27.7 per cent of total political subjects covered within the news bulletins of the TV channels, subject to monitoring.

CCA head Dinu Ciocan pointed out that unfortunately, some TV channels continued to violate the regulations on covering the electoral campaign, favoring some electoral contenders, therefore, they had been fined. At the same time, he said the situation had improved at two TV channels. It is about TV7 and N4.

“The next week, we will make a new monitoring. If the broadcasters, subject to fine, continue to violate the regulations, then they will have maximum sanction – suspension of advertising”, he also said.

The last monitoring report on observance of the regulation on covering election campaign for the 30 November parliamentary polls was considered by CCA on 7 November.