Civil society proposes new Broadcasting Code

The Broadcasting Coordination Council (BCC) will have five members instead of nine. The Council’s chairman will be named by the head of state, while the other members by the relevant parliamentary commission as until present and will be confirmed by Parliament. The amendments are contained in the new Broadcasting Code that was presented in a news conference on May 4. The Code was drafted by a working group consisting of a number of NGOs, under the aegis of the Electronic Press Association (APEL), Info-Prim Neo reports. Doina Costin, coordinator of the Mass Media Legislation and Politics Department of the Independent Journalism Center, said the Council’s chairman should be appointed by the President in order to make the holder of the post more responsible. The new Code says the chairman will be dismissed if Parliament rejects the Council’s yearly report. “So, the responsibility for the inefficiency of the Council will be born by the head of state, who will have to answer before society for the person named as chairman,” said Doina Costin. The current Broadcasting Code does not oblige the BCC to motivate its decisions. “We introduced a new system of penalties for violating the broadcasting legislation. The control system imposes a certain regime of control over the broadcasters on the future regulatory body. It is very clear and exact and does not permit exaggerations or abuses,” said Doina Costin. The new Code also contains clearer provisions concerning issuing of licenses in the broadcastings sector. The draft Broadcasting Code will be edited within several days and then sent to the relevant parliamentary commission.