The private media outlets in Moldova cover the election campaign prior to the June 14 local elections biasedly, the OSCE/ODIHR Limited Election Observation Mission says in its interim report, quoted by IPN reports.
The report says Moldova has a large number of media outlets. The media offer a plurality of opinions, but are perceived as politicized. The concentration of media ownership is a matter of concern for the civil society and international organizations. The public broadcaster, Moldova 1, is one of the most influential television channels.
In local elections, local broadcasters are obliged to organize electoral debates. On April 17, the Central Election Commission approved the regulation on election media coverage, which required that all broadcasters provide fair, balanced and impartial coverage. Paid political advertising is allowed, but is limited to two minutes per contestant per day on each broadcaster.
According to the Broadcasting Coordination Council, 104 broadcasters will cover the campaign, and 74 of them will organize debates. On May 27, the Council issued its first report and warned six private channels for biased coverage. On the same occasion, it suspended the rebroadcasting of Russia 24 channel.
