A private individual will be able to hold at most two broadcast licenses. Parliament passed in two readings a bill to amend the Broadcasting Code by which the number of licenses available to one person is reduced from five to two, IPN reports.
The Socialist MPs, who drafted the bill, said the initiative is designed to neutralize the process of monopolizing the national mass media. Particular persons now fully control the media sector of Moldova and this can cause a serious imbalance that will affect democracy and access to information.
Liberal-Democratic MP Chiril Lucinschi criticized the legislative initiative, saying he is for amending the Broadcasting Code, but the voted bill is not good enough and is unclear. The given provision will be implemented only after the licenses that are now in force expire. But some of these will be valid for many years on. The bill’s provisions on digital television are also vague.
