The BC Fines Three Radio Stations for Unmotivated Interruption of Broadcasting

The Broadcasting Council (BC) fined Radio Jean, Datina FM, and Drive FM a total of 47000 lei for interrupting their activity without reason for more than ten days or, intermittently, for more than 30 days during a year. The decision was taken at the BC meeting held on August 11, 2023, by the unanimous vote of the attending members.

The fines were imposed after the Council ordered to conduct a control of Radio 7, Radio Jean, Datina FM, and Drive FM on June 23, 2023. In July, the BC requested the entities which administered these stations (Fluctus SRL – Datina FM, “Autonomia Noastra” Public Association – Radio Jean, Lux Gsm SRL – Drive FM, and AER Comunicatii SRL – Radio 7) to provide the information regarding the broadcasts from January 1 to July 4, 2023.

At the same time, the BC requested the National Radio Frequency Management Service to verify whether they had recorded any broadcasting interruptions on several frequencies of such radio stations as Drive FM, Radio Jean, Datina FM, and Radio 7, in from different regions of the country, and the duration of these interruptions. Following the checkups, during the entire term of monitoring, the Service stated that Datina FM, on the frequency from Chisinau, Radio Jean from Cahul, and Drive FM from Taraclia and Causeni had not been on the air. Radio Jean interrupted its broadcasting on the Baurci frequency from April 7 to July 6, 2023. As to Radio 7, no interruptions were registered during the monitoring period. Therefore, Fluctus SRL and Lux Gsm SRL were fined 16000 lei each, and “Autonomia Noastra” Public Association was fined 15000 lei.

The radio stations have 30 days to resume their activity.

Upon request of Eugeniu Ribca, BC member, these radio stations will be repeatedly controlled in November. He said that radio frequencies were a national heritage for which “a struggle” was going on, and a refusal to use them “could not be justified.”