Victoria Coroban, on her resignation as director of Radio Moldova: There are too big differences of vision between the general director and me

Different management visions and disagreements over some of the topics broadcast on the radio are the reasons that led journalist Victoria Coroban to resign as director of the public broadcaster Radio Moldova after half a year of activity. Teleradio-Moldova general director Vlad Turcanu refused to comment to Media Azi on the “internal debates” at TRM.

Victoria Coroban submitted her resignation last week and Monday, June 20, was her last day as TRM’s deputy director in charge of broadcasting. “The main problem is too big a difference in the management visions we have with the director general in terms of managing the teams, given the complicated working conditions there. I am a believer in communication, team cooperation, encouraging people, supporting them, giving them guidance. Here our perspectives are too different,” said Victoria Coroban.

According to her, the decision was also based on disagreements over some of the topics covered on the radio. For example, the general director was reportedly unhappy about an interview on public radio that dealt with gender equality and domestic violence. “It’s natural to have different opinions, but they can be discussed and argued when there is room for communication and listening. Unfortunately, in many situations there was no room for mutual listening (…)”, added the former director of Radio Moldova.

Asked for a reaction to the journalist’s leaving, the general director of TRM, Vlad Turcanu, refused to comment. “I do not discuss with the press the internal debates we have at Teleradio-Moldova, especially the interpretations I see you are making that are far from reality. We appreciate the work done by Ms. Coroban and wish her success”, told us Vlad Turcanu.

PROBLEMS AT PUBLIC RADIO

Victoria Coroban also referred to the problems identified at Radio Moldova during her six months in office. She said she had objections to the broadcasting grid, which needed improvement as it only focused on certain cultural and historical topics, but less on independent culture, for example. “There was not enough dynamism in the approach. Even in the few boutique shows that were there it was mostly culture and too little current affairs from other areas. Very little social, almost none economic,” said Victoria Coroban.

“The working conditions are very hard. The space itself looks very demotivating for the makers. The common spaces are disastrous. They look very bad. The salaries are very low there. Of course there is a need for wage reform,” added the journalist.

The former deputy director general believes that reforming public radio requires “a lot of fresh forces in the team, for whom the rules and principles of journalism are a matter of course”, as well as more “professional culture”. “Somewhere along the way this approach was lost. These values of accuracy, balance, precision – the basic rules of journalism,” she listed.

Recently, Vlad Turcanu told the members of TRM’s Supervisory and Development Council about the problems they face and the solutions. He mentioned that the disposal of the Radio House would be one of the options being considered by the management in order to save resources.

Victoria Coroban was appointed director of the public broadcaster Radio Moldova at the end of December 2021. Previously, she was the producer of several shows on Radio Chisinau, including “Cu mente aperta”, “Pauza de cafea” and the podcast “Asta-i situația”. Her appointment at TRM followed changes to the Code of Audiovisual Media Services, whereby the previous management of Teleradio-Moldova was dismissed.