Elimination of “FM 103.5” from media market aims at strengthening the government on informational landscape

The elimination from the media landscape of the Balti-based “FM 103.5” radio station and offering the license it has held for 10 years to “Divaserv media” Ltd for the Balti-based “City FM” has marked a new “achievement” of the government – one more pro-communist radio station, Sergiu Cebotari, co-founder of “Blue Star” Company and of “FM 103.5” radio station, told a news conference on Tuesday, April 17, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to Cebotari, by withdrawing the license of “FM 103.5” on February 13, the Broadcasting Coordination Council (CCA) has carried out the orders of the government. CCA chairman’s and members’ behaviour of proved that the order comes from high officials, the cited source said. Cebotari denied the accusations by CCA, namely about not observing the broadcasting schedule and the minimum content levels of programmes in the official language. According to him, investigations performed later revealed a series of violations. “Divavers media” company, as well as another company which was given the license on the same day – “Germers-Nord” – was founded on January 24, one day before the deadline for the license contest. The applications submitted to the CCA are similar, and the founders have the same names, Cebotari affirms. According to the cited source, despite a share capital of only MDL 5400 held by “Divavers media” Ltd, these companies did obtain the licenses, and CCA Chairman, Corneliu Mihalache, justified the decision by the fact that the new holders are “young and professional”. Subsequently, Cebotari says, it was found that the “professionals” have no experience in audiovisual and are, according to him, “young communists, protected by the deputy-mayor of Balti, Andrei Ciornai, former secretary of the young wing of the communist party and colleague of Mihalache”. Cebotari claimed that the monitoring of “FM 103.5” was biased, as it was performed for only 12 hours, while in other cases the procedure was repeated two times, lasted 24 hours each and more serious violations were found. All the aforementioned arguments and the fact that “FM 103.5” was not sanctioned by the CCA, prove the fact that the elimination of the station from the media market was an order. According to the cited source, in the fall of 2006, “Marketing Media Index” Company, representative of TNS in Ukraine, conducted a survey on the popularity of radio stations. The results showed that 65% of the population in the northern part of the country pleaded in favour of “FM 103.5”, which was airing 100% local programmes, in Romanian and Russian. According to Cebotari, the “Blue Star” Company has started legal proceedings against the CCA, and the judge of the Court of Appeals, Mihai Ciugureanu, send the case to the Centru District Court, which delays the lawsuit. The delay aims at allowing the new holder to purchase the necessary equipment. Sergiu Cebotari says that the team of the radio station will defend its rights in the national courts, and if need be – in the European Court of Human Rights.