MP asks Parliament to examine broadcasting authority’s situation

The fact that the Broadcasting Coordination Council (BCC) changed three chairmen in just a couple of months is an extra proof that serious mistakes have been committed when selecting the candidates for BCC members, in disregard of their professional abilities, MP Leonid Bujor stated in Parliament. He solicited the Standing Bureau to examine the situation around the broadcasting authority and make the conclusions public at one of the next Parliament sittings. On July 31, BCC dismissed Corneliu Mihalache from the office of chairman, appointing Vlad Turcanu in his place. The respective decision was not published in the Official Gazette for more than a month and a half, when on September 17 Gheorghe Gorincioi was elected as BCC chair. The same day Valeriu Frumusachi replaced Ludmila Vasilache as deputy chair. The current composition of the broadcasting authority was designated by Parliament a year ago, under the provisions of the freshly adopted Broadcasting Code. Five members were proposed by the Communists, three by the Christian-Democrats and one by the Democrats. The latest report of the Council of Europe on Moldova says that media remains one of the sectors which still needs to go a long way in order to meet European standards. The document also notes that the designation of the 9 members of the Coordination Council did not go without controversy. Mdia professionals and NGOs alike criticised the procedure for lack of transparency and for applying political, rather than merit principles. At the same time, well-known specialists in the field of broadcasting, proposed by respected media NGOs were not considered, the CoE report reads.