CMC might decide on auctioning off “Antena C” and “Euro TV” stations in few days

Chisinau’s interim mayor Vasile Ursu asked to include the item on reorganization of the municipal stations “Antena C” and “Euro TV Chisinau” in the Chisinau Municipal Council’s session agenda scheduled for November 24. Ursu’s request came as a result of a petition of the Audiovisual Coordinating Council that reminded that the legal deadline when CMC was to take a decision on these stations’ reorganization, according to the Audiovisual Code (AC), has expired on November 18. The item regarding the future of the municipal broadcasters was not included in the agenda for the reason that the draft decisions have not been distributed to the councilors, who postponed their examination. Thus, the decision to sell “Antena C” and “Euro TV Chisinau” stations at public auctions could be made Tuesday, November 28, when councilors will continue the session started on Thursday. According to the draft decision, the Economy, Reforms and Patrimonial Relations Division will prepare the necessary documents for organizing the auction. The General Finances Division, Book keeping and Economic Analysis Division in concert with the administrations of “Antena C” and “Euro TV Chisinau” are to price the stations. The informative note appended to the draft decision on organizing public auctions says that once the AC was adopted, local public authorities as founders of broadcasting institutions were tasked to decide on their organization, so that their liquidation is not allowed. The same normative document stipulates that public authorities of any level and other budget-funded public institutions are prohibited to become founders of private broadcasters. The founder of “Antena C” and “Euro TV”, which are considered municipal enterprises, is CMC. According to the Legal Division of the City Hall, one of the legal ways of implementing the AC’s provisions is to follow the Civil Code (art. 817-822), which stipulates that enterprises shall be bought or sold as indivisible property. As the stations belong to the Municipal Council, according to the Law on public administration (art. 84), they can be sold at a public auction only.