Alexandru Dorogan: Decision to sell TVR1’s frequencies is illegal

The decision to put up for sale the state-owned Network No.2, which relays the programmes of the Romanian channel TVR1, is illegal, as the Romanian Television Corporation (SRTV) holds a licence that is valid until 2011 and it didn’t break any of its terms, Alexandru Dorogan, president of the Electronic Press Association APEL, told Info-Prim Neo. He explained that at present TVR1 broadcasts in Moldova in compliance with the licence issued by the Broadcasting Coordination Council (BCC) on 14 February 2006 and that is valid until 14 February 2011, as well as under the agreement covering the period 2006-2011, signed between BCC and the Romanian Television Corporation. Dorogan believes that BCC yielded to some pressures from the Government, which used the Ministry of Information Development to order the Council to put up for sale the respective frequency. According to him, this is a violation of the Broadcasting Code that expressly grants BCC the status of an autonomous public authority, representative and guarantor if the public interest in the audiovisual field. It’s beyond the BCC’s authority to deal with financial issues. These should be discussed between the governments of Romania and Moldova, or between TVR and Radiotelecomunicatii State Enterprise. BCC must only supervise the observance of the licence terms, but in this case the Council had nothing to object to the licence holder (i.e. SRTV), Dorogan pointed out. The president of APEL went on to add that under these conditions, the Romanian Television Corporation should claim its rights that derive from the Agreement and status of licence holder, while BCC must review its decision and recognise publicly its mistake.