The audiovisual code needs to be improved, considers the chairman of APEL

The audiovisual code needs improvements, a fact admitted by its authors, considers the president of the Electronic Press Association (APEL), Alexandru Dorogan. According to the quoted source, there is a lot of work to do, especially upon the chapters that regard the election of the members of the Audiovisual Coordinating Council. Practically, of this depends the independence of the audiovisual, considers the president of APEL. As well, according to Dorogan, in the Code are not stipulated clearly principles of licence remittance and broadcaster’s selection. We must respect the diversity of the public interest, but this principle is also not stipulated in the Code, states the quoted source. “It is absolutely not clear why at the moment, the Moldavian society needs a single public broadcaster or why is infringed the right of the community, of the local public authorities to have public TV and radio stations in order to communicate with the society, to have a larger possibility to create a community union in a locality”, declares the president of APEL. The Electronic Press Association is a NGO, apolitical and non-profit, being the most representative association of the audiovisual institutions and professionals from this area in Moldova. At present, it is composed of 20 institutions (TV and radio stations) and 5 natural persons (Audiovisual experts). The main objective of APEL is to contribute to the multilateral development of the member-institutions in order to satisfy the Moldavian public. APEL elaborated draft bills in the audiovisual field – “The National Public Institution of Audiovisual Law” a new “Audiovisual Law” etc. and a big part of them passed the expertise and were approved by the European Council. The Audiovisual Code Project, adopted in first reading by the Parliament was criticized by the audiovisual experts and politicians. The Code was voted by the communist, democrat and Christian-democrat deputies, informs Info-Prim Neo.