Moldovan media watchdog approves concept on covering 2015 local general election by radio, TV broadcasters

Chisinau, 9 April /MOLDPRES/ - The Audiovisual Coordination Council /CCA/ approved the concept on the covering of the local general elections from 14 June 2015 by Moldovan radio and TV broadcasters at a meeting today.

The concept sets the way of the electoral campaign is covered and is meant to ensure its fair, balanced and impartial representation, promote freedom of speech and political pluralism, set mandatory standards on implementation of these principles by radio and TV broadcasters, on one hand, and electoral contenders, on the other hand.

CCA Head Dinu Ciocan said that, when working out the concept, the Council took into account the experience of the 2011 local general elections and 2014 parliamentary ones. The concept will be forwarded to the Central Electoral Commission; afterwards a regulation on covering the electoral campaign by radio and TV broadcasters will be elaborated. 

„Each radio and TV broadcaster will submit to CCA a declaration on the editorial policy regarding the electoral campaign. The declaration will include: name of owner/owners of institution, principles of covering the electoral campaign by the media institution; schedule of free airtime; tax for paid airtime; electoral programme's grid, etc.,” Ciocan said.

Ciocan added that the radio and TV broadcasters would be obliged to present a weekly report on covering the electoral campaign. At the same time, according to the art. 14 of the Concept, all information referring to covering of the electoral campaign by radio and TV broadcasters have to be grouped in blocks and highlighted by acoustic and/or visual means in order to identify and separate it from the other information, including in news bulletins with the mention „Local Elections 2015”.

Dinu Ciocan also said that the tax for airtime would be established in line with the average one on publicity paid at the concerned channel during one year.

For his part, CCA member Iurie Colesnic highlighted that this conception was rather balanced. „All vulnerable points in the campaign for the 2014 parliamentary elections were included here. The moment as to limiting the payment for advertising is disputable, as mainly local radio and TV broadcasters are involved in the local elections, which need serious financial support. Limiting the publicity, we would cap their possibility to have a bigger income, which I see necessary as to local radio broadcasters,” Colesnic said.   

The CCA data shows that 54 radio stations are working in Moldova, of which 2 are also broadcast via satellite, and 62 TV stations, of which 35  are broadcast terrestrially and 27 via networks of services distributors.

(Reporter N. Roibu, Editor A. Raileanu)