TV channels and radio stations will be obliged to broadcast at least 80% of the total amount of local programs in Romanian, according to the Broadcasting Council (BC) which informs that, on November 18, 2022, the new amendments to the Code of Audiovisual Media Services came into force.
“An exception will be made only for the media providers whose broadcasting media services are intended for ethnic minorities in the administrative territorial units where an ethnic minority represents a majority of the population and who have an obligation to broadcast at least 25% of the local audiovisual programs in Romanian, as well as self-produced audiovisual programs in the language of the respective minority,” the BC specifies in a press release.
Another amendment extends the prime time from 06.00 – 09.00 and 17.00 – 23.00 to 06.00 – 10.00 and 17.00 – 24.00. “It will contribute to complying with the proportion of local programs and also to obtaining a flexible and attractive grid for the audience,” the same press release states.
In addition, new provisions on the providers’ and media service distributors’ annual reporting to the BC regarding their final beneficiaries and shareholders, sources of financing, and guaranteeing transparency of this information for the public were introduced. “Thus, a requirement stipulated by the Action Plan for implementing the steps suggested by the European Commission in its opinion regarding the application for the adherence of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union has been fulfilled,” the BC mentions.