The Party of Action and Solidarity proposes transferring the National Public Broadcaster “Teleradio-Moldova” (TRM) back under parliamentary control, as it was until 2019. This is provided in a bill to amend the Code of Audiovisual Media Services that was approved by the responsible parliamentary commission. The MPs of the Bloc of Communists and Socialists said PAS, which has a parliamentary majority, intends to politically subjugate the audiovisual sector, primarily the public broadcaster that they aim to turn into a government’s tool, IPN reports.
PAS MP Marcela Adam said the subjugation of TRM to the Audiovisual Council led to the serious deterioration of the company’s image and to the worsening of the quality of products provided by the national public broadcaster.
The bill provides that the mandate of the current members of the Supervisory Board, director general of “Teleradio-Moldova” and deputy director general will end when the amendments take effect.
In reaction, the Communist and Socialist MPs said that PAS, in the absence of public discussions, without the expertise of the Council of Europe, without using the experience of counterparts from other countries, aims to gain control over the broadcasting sector. BCS MP Adela Răileanu, deputy chair of the Parliament’s commission on culture, education, youth and sport, said the current government amends the law so as to be able to dismiss the current members of the Audiovisual Council.
Adela Răileanu warned the international organizations, expert NGOs and embassies that the bill to amend the Code is aimed at depriving the Audiovisual Council and the Supervisory Board of “Teleradio-Moldova” of independence, by bringing them fully under political control.
