The magistrates of the Chisinau Court recently rejected the appeal of NTV Moldova against the decision of the Broadcasting Council (BC) to sanction the TV station for failing to ensure the correct information of the public when broadcasting a program from the Russian Federation. The fine amounting to 10,000 MDL was applied in connection with an edition of the program “New Russian Sensations” from January 2022, which “aimed to amplify the feeling of hatred, chaos and political instability in the Ukrainian state”.
The decision challenged by Exclusiv Media, the founding company of NTV Moldova, was issued at the BC meeting of March 4, 2022. The BC then examined the results of monitoring an audiovisual program broadcast by NTV Moldova on January 23, 2022, which addressed various topics related to the political situation in Ukraine. According to the findings of the BC, the program “New Russian Sensations: I am not Petya” has the nature of manipulation and disinformation of the public opinion through the use of various manipulation techniques and one-sided reporting on the part of its producers.
At the March 4, 2022 meeting of the BC, the BC member Ruslan Mihalevschi noted that the monitored program promoted the idea that Ukraine is a failed state and that it is run by criminals – an idea promoted insistently and openly, as a way of justifying military operations in Ukraine. The BC member shared the belief that this content reached a fairly large audience, which, in his opinion, only aggravates the situation. “This program was broadcast in prime time, and NTV Moldova is listed among the stations with the highest audience share, being included in the must-carry list, and is also present in the Multiplex,” argued Ruslan Mihalevschi.
The decision to sanction NTV Moldova with a fine of 10,000 MDL was made with the vote of four members of the BC out of the seven present.
NTV Moldova’s appeal against the sanction imposed by the BC was rejected by judge Liudmila Holeviţcaia of the Chisinau Court, Rascani office, on October 24. NTV Moldova can challenge the judgment at the Chisinau Court of Appeal.