The citizens of the Republic of Moldova will have free access to a number of TV programs in the national audiovisual space. Parliament gave a final reading to the draft law that extends the term of the mechanism for granting state aid to the national multiplex provider, IPN reports.
The document extends, for 2025-2027, the state aid mechanism granted to the state-owned enterprise "Radiocommunications" to ensure the operation of the National Multiplex A (MUX A). This network offers the possibility of receiving 12 TV channels free of charge for about 99% of the population throughout the country, including in the Transnistrian region.
The amendments to the Audiovisual Media Services Code were proposed by PAS MP Liliana Nicolaescu-Onofrei, head of the commission on culture, education, research, youth, sport and the media, in cooperation with the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization.
According to the authors, households that receive TV programs in the national audiovisual space, broadcast through MUX A, are those that do not have the financial capacity to pay for a TV subscription or do not have the physical possibility to connect to pay TV, due to the lack of broadband or cable TV networks in the areas where they live.
According to data from the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology, about 504,000 households are potential beneficiaries who can receive the multiplex signal free of charge.
The draft law will enter into force on the date of publication in the Official Gazette.
