STANDING COMMITTEE APPROVES DRAFT OF NEW AUDIOVISUAL CODE

The draft of a new Code of audiovisual services, which is to replace the current Code of Television and Radio Broadcasting, was Okayed on Wednesday by the parliamentary Standing Committee for Culture, Education, Sciences, Youth, Sports and the Mass Media. Now the document will be sent to the Parliament for considering it in a first reading in the forum's plenary meeting.

The document stipulates a number of new provisions on the principles of audiovisual communications regulating the activities of all the suppliers of media services. The document has been worked out by domestic and international experts as well as by the Moldovan civil society representatives - the members of the ad hoc working group formed for working out new legislation in the media sphere.

MP Corneliu Mihalache of the Democratic Party said that the draft stipulates the fulfillment of the European Directive in the sphere of audiovisual services, but with an account of the Moldovan reality.

"The document stipulates a new procedure of forming the personal composition of the Audiovisual Coordinating Council (ACC), according to which one ACC member will be appointed by the President, two - by the Parliament, and 6 members - by the civil society. Also, the new Code prescribes the procedure of appointing the Supervisory Board of the Teleradio-Moldova public broadcasting company", said Corneliu Mihalache.

According to the draft, TV programs and films in foreign languages must be accompanied with subtitles in Moldova's official language, with the exception of locally-made programs, or TV lessons of studying foreign languages, or musical clips.

Previously, MP Vlad Batrincea of the Party of Socialists criticized the provisions in the draft Code stipulating a rapid increase of the proportion of home-made products, including those done in the official language. In his opinion, the share of local products should be growing slowly, phase by phase, so as not to create great problems to broadcasters.

During the past public debates of the document, Standing Committee Chairman Vladimir Hotineanu stated that the new Code shall be approved in a final reading only after it has gone through the expert examination by the Council of Europe, European Union and the OSCE.