Moldova 1 public TV channel might launch weekly programme Parties' Hour

Chisinau, 28 September /MOLDPRES/ - The director of the Moldova 1 public TV channel, Ecaterina Stratan, will suggest that the councils of programmes and administration of the Teleradio-Moldova Company launches a weekly programme „Ora partidelor” (Parties’ Hour), to which representatives of parties from Moldova will be invited.     

The decision was taken following a meeting with representatives of political formations. According to the administration of the public television channel, about 20 parties accepted the invitation and delegated one representative each to these discussions.

The goal of the meeting was to identify clear-cut strategies of communication with the parties, both within news bulletins and at programmes. “We ruled to organize this meeting, as the public television has been lately assailed by the political environment. It is only natural that there is this attention, but I think that we everybody agree that the actions must be in line with the norm and spirit of the law,” the director of Moldova 1, Ecaterina Stratan, said.     

Thus, the parties which accepted the invitation asked for more air time in order to set forth their platform and visions on the social and political situation in Moldova, as well as a correct, non-discriminatory attitude towards all formations.  

Those present at the meeting exchanged opinions on the way the activity of parties from Moldova should be covered. Some of participants expressed disagreement with the ultimatum tone of certain parties, which demanded a weekly meeting dedicated exclusively to their representatives. In the end, most of those present in the discussions opted for a programme to which all parties are to have access, both opposition parties and ruling ones. The programme is to be a platform of discussing interesting and useful ideas and projects for citizens.

Supporters of the Dignity and Truth Platform Party, Action and Solidarity Party and Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova organized a protest outside the public TV station’s building in mid-September. At the event, they demanded a weekly air time hour for the opposition parties. At that time, the Moldova 1 director said that she would consider the request and would subsequently come up with an answer.   

(Reporter A. Ciobanu, editor A. Raileanu)