The national broadcasting company Teleradio-Moldova (TRM) will have a new headquarters, with state-of-the-art TV television and radio studios, as part of an architectural project with a total area of over 9,000 square meters. This was announced by TRM director Vlad Țurcanu, during the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Georgian public broadcaster. The construction is estimated to take 30 months and will cost over 17 million euros.

Under the Memorandum, Moldova will take inspiration from the design of the national broadcaster’s HQ in Tbilisi and adapt it “to create a modern and professional radio and television entity in Chisinau”.

“The agreement says that the Georgian side will convey, free of charge to Teleradio-Moldova, the design used by their national broadcaster for building a new headquarters and new studios. This architectural project used in Georgia will be adapted to meet Teleradio-Moldova’s needs. The rehabilitation of Teleradio-Moldova’s infrastructure, which hasn’t seen any major funding for several decades now, is in line with our institution’s modernization strategy” said TRM director Vlad Țurcanu.

The administrative building will include offices, television and radio studios and a massive television platform spanning over 1000 square meters, of the total 9000 sq. m. area. According to Vlad Țurcanu, the total cost of the project, to be completed in 30 months, will be 17 million euros and will only concern the construction part. The equipment will be bought later from TRM’s own sources and with help from international donors. The TRM director suggested the company could sell some of its property to secure the funding.
 
“TRM needs new work spaces, modern equipment and technologies to grow. Modern technologies cannot be implemented in the obsolete spaces that Teleradio-Moldova inherited from the Soviet past. Operating large and uninsulated spaces, we spend huge amounts on energy bills,  Teleradio-Moldova spends 700,000 euros annually on maintenance bills”, the director added.

“Signing this Memorandum is an action of solidarity to exchange experience. Mutual support means a very strong public audiovisual institution and, by extension, a democratic and free society. I congratulate the Republic of Moldova on becoming a candidate for joining the European Union, we support the country’s European future”, declared Tina Berdzenishvili, representative of the Georgian public broadcaster.