National radio and TV programs in 2010 will make up 80%

From 2010, the national and own production of the radio stations and television channels will constitute at least 80% of the news and analytical programs, as stipulated in the Broadcasting Code, the president of the Broadcasting Coordination Council (BCC) Gheorghe Gorincioi said during a news conference on February 4. The digital television project will be launched this autumn, Info-Prim Neo reports. Gheorghe Gorincioi said the implementation of this legal norm does not mean marginalization of the consumers of Russian language programs. According to him, there are about 10 radio stations and 15 television channels in Moldova that broadcast in Russian or are retransmitted from Russia. Also, the TV packages offered by the service providers include more than 60 channels that are dubbed into Russian or are retransmitted from Russia. “They claim the rights of the consumers of Russian language programs in Moldova are infringed, but this is not true,” Gorincioi said. As to the digitalization of television, Gheorghe Gorincioi said steps will be taken this year to set up 16 digital TV channels with national coverage. The BCC submitted relevant amendments to the Broadcasting Code to the Parliament for consideration. Speaking about the results achieved last year, Gheorghe Gorincioi said the foreign investments attracted to the national broadcasting sector amounted to 42 million euros. This year, Publika TV alone intends to invest more than 5 million euros in Moldova. Gorincioi also said that the courts last year tried to interfere in the BCC's work. “We consider the principle of separation of powers is violated as some of the courts attempted to play roles belonging to the BCC. There are a number of court decisions that we will probably appeal to the Supreme Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights,” he said. Last year, the BCC issued 40 broadcast licenses and 23 retransmission authorizations. There were 274 license holders in the field in Moldova in 2009.