BCC and SB accused of non-professionalism

The broadcasting supervisory authorities – the Broadcasting Coordination Council (BCC) and the Supervisory Board (SB) of the National Public Broadcaster “Teleradio-Moldova” – lack competence and professionalism, it is said in two case studies published by the Electronic Press Association on September 14, Info-Prim Neo reports. The case studies say that the BCC and the SB neglected their supervisory and inspection duties, especially during the electoral campaign, when they were to step up efforts. Between June 16 and July 29, the BCC had held only three public meetings. Only three of the 14 decisions taken deal with the way of covering the electoral campaign by broadcasters. The experts say that the BCC did not publicly react to serious and repeated violations, ignoring the legislation. According to the monitors, broadcasters' internal regulations concerning the covering of the electoral campaign were approved only formally. According to jurist Eugeniu Rybka, the BCC has not responsibly fulfill its duties of autonomous public authority, and even when it did it it showed lack of incompetence and superficiality in knowing the legislation and the typical features of the mass media work. At the same time, the SB, as supervisor of the work of the National Public Broadcaster “Teleradio-Moldova”, did not appropriately perform its tasks, its role being essentially reduced. It did not monitor the news stories and electoral debate programs separately and did not react to the violations of the Broadcasting Code by the public broadcaster. “It is surprising that some of the broadcasters continue to observe the law even if the supervisory authority do not always obey it,” Eugeniu Rybka said. The study authors say that both the BCC and the SB should better monitor the broadcasters and adequately react to the violations committed by them. The SB should professionally react to the internal and external monitoring, case studies, critical commentaries and statements about “Teleradio Moldova” that appear in the press. Eugeniu Rybka also said that the Broadcasting Code should be improved and there should be imposed penalties for broadcasting nonobjective and biased information. The case studies had been made by the Electronic Press Association between June 16 and August 30 as part of a project implemented with support from the European Commission's Delegation, Soros-Moldova Foundation and Eurasia Foundation, as part of the Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections – Collation 2009. Neither the BCC nor the SB commented on the accusations made in the studies. Earlier, they refuted the criticism leveled at them.