Parliamentary faction wants BCC chair dismissed

Chairman of the Broadcasting Coordination Council Corneliu Mihalache presented the activity report of the institution for 2006 on Thursday, July 5. The activity of the BCC in several fields and its chairman were harshly criticised by the opposition MPs, but were supported by the communist MPs. The report reads that one of the concerns of the BCC was to observe and punish the broadcasters who admitted violent and pornographic scenes in their programmes and scenes which can influence the physical and psychological development of consumers, especially of minors. At the same time BCC recognises that in 2006, there were registered no significant progress in what concerns impartiality, pluralistic expression of ideas and opinions and use of several information sources, especially at the public TV station Moldova 1. As regards the protection of culture and official language, the BCC report found many gaps in the activity of the local broadcasters, in particular referring to the broadcasters TeleDixi, Autoradio, Europa Plus, which neglected this aspect. Depending on the nature and seriousness of the violations that the licensees had admitted, BCC applied public warnings and other sanctions stipulated by the legislation, the report reads. Mihalache referred to other activity fields of the BCC as well. The opposition MPs asked questions related to the problems registered in the field of audiovisual lately. MP Ivan Banari asked for explanations on the decision of the BCC to refuse granting a licence to the Balti-based radio station “FM 103.5”, which according to him, was a popular station with a professional team. Mihalache said this was the collective decision of all BCC members. Asked by Anatol Onceanu who gave him the right to request the Chisinau Municipal Council to put the former municipal TV and radio stations under the hammer, Mihalache answered that he had only sent a recommendation letter. Several MPs asked questions about the actions undertaken by the BCC to improve the activity of “Teleradio-Moldova” Company and referred to the existence of “chaos” in audiovisual, fact also remarked by the international missions. In retort, Mihalache called forth the short time of Council’s activity in the new composition, the collegial way of adopting the decisions, the fact that that the activity of TRM should be the direct responsibility of the Supervisory Board, at the same time mentioning that the situation at the public institutions has improved lately. The opposition MPs said they are not pleased with the received answers, and Gheorghe Susarenco quoted a Russian song – “kakim ti bil, takim i ostalsea”(you are the same). According to MP Leonid Bujor, even after the approval of the new composition of the BCC and of SC, the public TV station “Moldova 1” continues to promote only the policy of the ruling party, and PCRM puts pressure on the audiovisual and especially on TRM. In a statement read at the rostrum of the Parliament, Bujor asked not to further admit maintaining “M 1” as a propaganda tool of the PCRM and considers it will be fair if Mihalache resigns or suspends his activity until after the problems related to the municipal public stations and the case of several members of the Council who are suspected of taking bribe are solved. On the other hand, communist MP Vladimir Dragomir said that each party sees the activity of the Council from its own point of view, reminding that the new composition of the Council is working for a short period, but it has already done several good things. However he recognised that in several fields the activity of the regulation authority should be more accelerated. The Parliament approved the decision on the BCC activity report with the vote of the communist and Christian-democrat MPs.