Antena C might resume broadcasting tomorrow

The radio station “Antena C” might resume broadcasting tomorrow, January 17, stated the interim director of the station Veaceslav Satnic on Tuesday, January16, within the frameworks of the session of the Broadcasting Coordinating Council (CCA). Satnic said that on Monday he had a meeting with deputy minister of Informational Development Pavel Buceatchi, also attended by director of the “Radiocomunicatii” SE Victor Badulescu. Satnic was promised that this week, specifically on January 17, the broadcasting of “Antena C” would be resumed. Satnic says currently “Antena C” operates only on a landline basis. According to him, the news desk continues to work as usually and the programmes are aired “as much as the conditions allow”. “Antena C” sued the “Radiocomunicatii” State Enterprise for not providing services in compliance with the contract concluded for 2006 and for the delay in concluding the contract for 2007. According to Victor Badulescu, the contract with “Antena C” was valid till December 31, 2006. The new contract has been presented on December 29 to the Ministry of Informational Development for consideration. At the same time, he mentioned that the services provided by “Radiocomunicatii” have to be paid for, and as long as it is not clear who will finance the activity of the station in the future, it is hard for him to say whether he has the right to conclude this contract with someone who cannot pay. Referring himself to the technical problems which led to the disruption of the station’s signal, Badulescu said that the utilisation of digital technologies by the station have been made without consulting certain specialists, and, thus errors have been committed. The head of the CCA, Corneliu Mihalache, said that the problem of “Antena C” has a major social resonance. According to him, the Audiovisual Code stipulates the reorganisation of this institution, but also provides the inadmissibility of its liquidation. CCA is not entitled to indicate the “Radiocomunicatii” enterprise what to do, but as the chairman of the regulation authority in the field, Mihalache called on Badulescu to be more receptive and allow the respective station to resume its broadcasting as soon as possible. At the same time, the head of the CCA warned the radio station that if the technical problems are removed, the broadcasting is to be resumed in the shortest terms, because if this does not happen CCA could annul its licence, even though it “does not want that thing to happen”, emphasised Mihalache. “Antena C” went off the air on December 16, when “Radiocomunicatii” SE set forth a technical problem, which was to be repaired in 10 days. After this term, the broadcasting wasn’t resumed, and, starting January 1 the old contract between the 2 institutions expired, and another one has not been signed because Radiocomunicatii “waits” for the approval of the Ministry of informational Development.