Two radio stations remain without frequencies

Two radio stations remained without the frequencies through which they broadcast as a result of a contest for available radio frequencies announced by the Audiovisual Coordinating Council (ACC). The situation of another radio station is still unclear after Tuesday’s meeting of the ACC. The Council allotted the 103.5 frequency in Balti town to the radio station City FM, to the detriment of the radio station FM 103.5. The ACC members made mention of a monitoring report on FM 103.5 that invokes violations of the broadcast schedule. On the other hand, Ecaterina Cojocaru, director of the radio station, said the station has skilled personnel and is the only station in Balti that produces its own programs. At Tuesday’s contest, the radio station Melodia lost all its three frequencies. The frequency in Chisinau was won by the radio station Scaparici, a station for children that will start to broadcast soon. The frequency in Balti went to another station that does not work yet – NRG. By four competitors fought for these two frequencies. As a result of the meeting on February 13, the situation of the radio station Albena in Taraclia remained uncertain. Of the eight ACC members present at the voting, four voted to leave the frequency to the station, but four voted against. The ACC president Corneliu Mihalache told Info-Prim Neo that he will call an extraordinary meeting to put the issue to the vote again. The largest number of frequencies – eight – was given to the radio station Micul Samaritean. The station Noroc competed for two of these frequencies, but it did not garner the necessary number of votes. Radio Poli Disc – Russcoe Radio applied for another five frequencies and got them. Radio Turist wanted to get one of these frequencies, but did not obtain the number of votes required. The radio station Noroc got two new frequencies in Comrat and Causeni. The frequency in Comrat had been used by Radio Melodia. Another two frequencies, in Balti and Chisinau, went to Radio Megapolis (former Auto FM). Five of the nine ACC members voted in favor of Noroc, while four voted for giving these frequencies to the radio station Tezaur, which does not work yet. Also on Tuesday, the ACC granted frequencies to the radio station Radio Nova, Radio Plai and Kiss FM, the same frequencies as before. The Council on Tuesday gave 23 radio frequencies to nine stations, as a result of the contest announced on December 15, 2006. Under the broadcasting code, the broadcast license is issued for a seven-year period and can be extended on the request of the radio broadcaster for another two periods of seven years each, if this worked in compliance with the legislation in operation.