The new Broadcasting Code, renamed the Code of Audiovisual Media Services of Moldova, was passed by Parliament in the final reading on July 26. The document is designed to ensure the right to receive correct and objective information, to contribute to the free formation of opinions, to guarantee and ensure the right to editorial independence and the freedom of expression, to protect minors and persons with disabilities, to ensure gender equality, to protect the national broadcasting sector and to ensure access to major events.

Contacted by IPN, Vladimir Hotineanu, one of the bill authors, said the media outlets are encouraged to make sure that 80% of the content is national one. The broadcasters that cannot ensure such a volume and resort to purchases of programs should buy at least 50% of these programs from the EU member states and states that ratified the European Convention on Transfrontier Television. The same quota is mandatory in the case of retransmitted programs. A quota of 10% is stipulated for content created by independent Moldovan producers.

Another provisions stipulates that the television services in Romanian and with subtitling/dubbing in Romanian should represent at least 50% of the volume of distributed services.

The Code also institutes a new mechanism for financing the national public broadcaster “Teleradio-Moldova”. This will get a fixed sum of 0.9% of the national public budget. Of the nine members of the Broadcasting Coordination Council, three are to be chosen from other regions of Moldova than Chisinau municipality.