MEDIA WATCHDOG REJECTS RTR-MOLDOVA REQUEST TO CHALLENGE PUNISHMENT

The Audiovisual Coordinating Council (ACC) has rejected the RTR-Moldova TV channel statement, which challenges the punishment. The ACC upheld its previous decision on a fine of 85 thousand lei.

The channel’s letter specifies that the channel broadcasted its own TV programs, including the Victory Parade from the Red Square in Moscow on May 9. According to the channel, this is not a rebroadcasting of informational and information-analytical programs of the Russian television, which are prohibited by the Moldovan legislation.

The ACC Chairman, Dragos Vicol noted that the Council carried out an additional legal relevance of the delivered decision, considers it legitimate and leaves the decision standing. The ACC has unanimously voted for this decision, rejecting the TV channel’s statement on its revision. After the second voting, the channel can put the Council’s decision in issue, as the RTR-Moldova intends to do.

As already reported by Infotag, the amendments to the Code of Television and Radio, adopted at the end of last year, entered into force in early February 2018. The amendments provide for a ban on rebroadcasting of informational, informational and analytical, political and military broadcasts from countries that have not ratified the European Convention on Transfrontier Television. In early June, the Constitutional Court has rejected President Igor Dodon’s request, who sought to set aside the Law.

Shortly after that, the ACC fined RTR-Moldova TV channel 85 thousand lei (more than five thousand dollars), for broadcasting the Victory Parade from the Red Square in Moscow, on May 9. Earlier, the ACC fined RTR-Moldova TV channel 50 thousand lei (about three thousand dollars) for the rebroadcasting of three stories of Russia 1 TV channel. The TV channel management appealed the decision in the court. In April, the Prime TV channel was fined 50 thousand lei for broadcasting the live speech of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annual address to the Federal Assembly.