Scandal at Teleradio-Gagauzia

Journalists from the regional public broadcaster Teleradio-Gagauzia blame the local People's Assembly of interference into the company's work and of restricting the freedom of speech. The MPs reject the accusations, while the broadcasting regulator and the civil society say it is interfering into media's work, Info-Prim Neo reports. In a statement sent to the People's Assembly, embassies accredited to Chisinau, the Broadcasting Coordinating Council (BCC) and the Observers Council of this regional public broadcaster, the Teleradio-Gagauzia journalists claim that, on July 21, a group of MPs tried to intimidate them while doing their job. According to the journalists, three local parliamentarians raided the company's quarters and blamed them of non-objective coverage of the meeting on July 19 in Comrat and of not granting air time to MPs on that day. The journalists say they were insulted and add they repeatedly got instructions from the executive board and MPs from the region as to the way of mirroring the events. On the other hand, one of the blamed MPs, Ana Harlamenko, who is also the last elected president of the local parliament, says all these accusations “are lies invented by sick fantasy, meant to destabilize the situation in the area.” Moreover, Ana Harlamenko says, on July 21, thje MPs went to the television station invited by the journalists to participate in a live program. “Later we were not allowed to go on air, we were chased and the police were called for,” Harlamenko says, adding she is one of the founders of the regional TV company and was its president for 10 years. According to the MP, the People's Assembly has never issued any document that may be viewed as interference into the regional broadcaster's work. Asked by Info-Prim Neo to comment the situation, the president of the APEL Broadcasters Association, Alexandru Dorogan, says the MPs' moves constitute a clear example of interfering into the company's work and of pressing journalists. “It's a continuation of our traditions when the political authorities interfere into the editorial policy of the public services.” The BCC expressed its disapproval of the Gagauz MPs' actions. In a communique issued on July 25, the BCC reminds that, according to the Broadcasting Code, the broadcasters are entitled to decide freely on the content of the programs, while any censorship is forbidden. The authoritarian constraint, exerting pressure by intimidating TV journalists to make them violate the ethical norms are punished under law, the CCA insists. On July 10, the Gagauz autonomy's legislature decided to institute a new Supervising Board of Teleradio-Gagauzia by declaring a new contest. The former board (Observers Council) and the company consider the decision to be illegal.