Valeriu Saharneanu: Journalists must close ranks against Broadcasting Coordination Council

The Broadcasting Coordination Council (BCC) has no moral right to supervise the electronic press in Moldova as long as it acts like a puppet of the red-orange coalition and remains to be a political commando used to instill fear in broadcasters, stated Valeriu Saharneanu and Veaceslav Tibuleac, the co-founders of Vocea Basarabiei Radio, at a news conference today. According to Saharneanu, Vocea Basarabiei submitted applications for a public competition in order to obtain license for the use of 8 frequencies on FM band, arguing the station is an independent institution, its format centers on news and talk, it advocates freedom of expression and pluralism of opinion, and is devoted to all the population of Moldova. The BCC members, Saharneanu maintains, haven't taken into consideration any of the arguments set forth, awarding at its meeting of May 7 several frequencies to Antena C Radio and as many as 5 frequencies to a barely known station called Radio 10. According to him, yesterday's show at the BCC, mastered by its chairman Gheorghe Gorincioi, was a political setup as the distribution of votes had been prearranged to the advantage the favorite contesters. “By doing so the BCC has placed itself beyond the law; all its decisions are attacks against the public and national interests and we will do everything to alert international organizations about its diversionary activity”, said Saharneanu, urging journalists to close the ranks against the BCC. Veaceslav Tabuleac says that, during the meeting, the BCC members, who profess to be pros, have committed multiple violations of the legislation with respect to other broadcasters. “These persons, who are trying to make a business run, to offer jobs, are humiliated by self-styled journalists seated at the BCC”, he said. “This young Komsomolist (referring to Corneliu Mihalache), who knows nothing about broadcasting, is a liar and a buffoon. Last evening he made false and aberrant statements for Free Europe, alleging that Vocea Basarabiei wasn't awarded new frequencies because it already had too many and was unable to manage them. Vocea Basarabiei has been seeking a frequency in Chisinau for years, and yesterday was the twenty-sixth time we heard no again. The case of Vocea Basarabiei Radion and the recurrent violations of the legislation, of legal norms and ethical rules, the BCC's crime against its own people, shall be discussed in Moldova's courts and at ECHR, the co-founders declared.