Moldova's only radio station for children could disappear

One year after foundation, the radio station Scaparici runs the risk of going off the air for good. The reasons set forth by its founders, the Union of Audio and Video Producers, are of financial nature, as the expenses exceed the incomes by several times, Info-Prim Neo reports. The Broadcasting Coordination Council (BCC), rejected on Wednesday the Union's request for permission to rent the license for Scaparici to a firm called Adoradio SRL. The intention was to change the format of the radio and rename it to “Love Radio”. The would-be owner committed to preserve to a large extent the broadcasting schedule and allot more than 40 percent of the daily airtime to programs devoted to children. Six out of seven members attending the BCC meeting opposed the idea, leaving BCC chair Gheorghe Gorincioi in the minority on the issue. Carmelia Albu, a BCC member, accused the Union of Audio and Video Producers of trafficking in licenses, which is unacceptable in a civilized country. “A year ago when we awarded you the license we did it out of consideration that you would become a genuine radio station for children. The idea appealed to us. But now the only thing left for you to do is to give up the frequency. We will put it for auction again because there are a lot of stations eager to get it”, stated Albu. Another BCC member, Vlad Turcanu, labeled Scaparici a “poor radio station,... with bad music and bad programs”. “It remains to see whether we accept the preservation of a poor station with no audience, that is, unprofitable, or accept the renting idea, or withdraw the license”, added Turcanu. Scaparici's executive manager Dorin Doronceanu expressed his amazement at the decision of the Council, adding that he would further seek solutions to keep the station alive. At the same meeting, BCC upheld its previous decision to ban the retransmission of the Russian “The Fighter” (“Boets”) TV channel, on grounds that it promoted violence.