BCC member resigns invoking political interests in the Council

Constantin Rotaru resigned as member of the Broadcasting Coordination Council (BCC), saying that political interests appeared within the institution. Rotaru told Info-Prim Neo that he worked in the broadcasting sector in Moldova, knows the present situation in the field and thought he could help improve it. That’s why he decided to run for member of the Council. He said that at the beginning the BCC made positive changes. The films began to be subtitled and more programmes in Romanian appeared on the television. The radio stations that broadcasted in Russian only began to transmit their own programmes. The Council tried to bring the things at Teleradio-Moldova Company in order as the public broadcaster is far from meeting certain journalistic norms. But the BCC began to be politicised, fact that is banned by the legislation, Rotaru said. He stressed that he thought of resignation when the Council decided to halt the retransmission of TVR1 in Moldova because he considers this decision as incorrect and that discredits the BCC. The former BCC member says that he does not agree with the method of distributing frequencies, especially on the radio. He also said that the radio station “Vocea Basarabiei”, which, according to him, is one of the most professional at the moment, won no frequency at the last contest. Rotaru says he is ready to become again a member of the BCC, but only when the composition of this institution really wants to see the broadcasting sector in Moldova develop. Constantin Rotaru was named as member of the BCC in November 2006 for a two-year term. The Parliament has already prepared a draft decision to accept Constantin Rotaru’s resignation. The post will be declared vacant. Within a month, the commission for culture, science, education, youth, sports and mass media and the legal commission for appointments and immunities will start selecting a candidate for the position of BCC member and will present him/her to the Parliament for confirmation.