Journalists seek modification of Broadcasting Code

“No progress can be made if the Broadcasting Code is not modified. One of the first changes that must be done is to empower the Supervisory Board of Teleradio-Moldova to elect the radio and television directors so as to quicker remedy the situation,” member of the Board Igor Munteanu said at the Press Club's meeting organized by the Independent Journalism Center in Chisinau. The participants in the meeting, among whom representatives of broadcasting institutions, members of the Broadcasting Coordination Council and of the Electronic Press Association, journalists from Chisinau, Tiraspol and Comrat, stressed the necessity of introducing essential amendments to the Broadcasting Code so that it guarantees freedoms. They said that the present Code cannot ensure the implementation of reforms in broadcasting. According to Munteanu, the Supervisory Board should be constituted in a different way. “The candidates must be fielded by professional associations, examined by the specialized commission and then confirmed by the Parliament,” he said. Munteanu expressed his regret at the fact that a political and European socialization institution disappeared gradually during the last two decades. Mircea Surdu, journalist of Moldova 1 TV channel, voiced hope that the members of the new government will be more cooperative and things will improve.