Media of Moldova

The media of Moldova refers to mass media outlets based in the Republic of Moldova. Television, magazines, and newspapers are all operated by both state-owned and for-profit corporations which depend on advertising, subscription, and other sales-related revenues. The Constitution of Moldova guarantees freedom of speech. As a country in transition, Moldova's media system is under transformation.

For the situation in the separatist republic of Transnistria, see Media of Transnistria

History

240 newspapers (ninety-seven in Romanian) and sixty-eight magazines (thirty-five in Romanian) were being published in the republic in 1990. Basa Press, an independent news service, was established in November 1992.

The media in Moldova has passed through hard times during the ruling period of the Party of Communists (2001-2009), during which the media continued being seen as an instrument of political influence, as in Soviet times. Only few media outlets were able to preserve their independence, due to the "lack of democratic traditions, insufficient financial resources, scarce management and marketing skills, and self-censorship".[1] In 2009 Freedom House assessed the Moldovan press as "not free", and Reporters Without Borders's Press Freedom Index saw it at the 114th position on 175 in 2009.[1]

The change in power in 2009 and the arrival of foreign investments in the Moldovan media market have brought a new dynamism.

Legislative framework

Moldova's media legislation is deemed rather good; yet, cases of abuses and intimidations persist.[2]

The Constitution of Moldova guarantees to all citizens “the freedom of thought, opinion, as well as freedom of expression in public by words, images, or any other possible means” (art. 32.1). The same article (32.3) outlaws the “defamation of the state and the nation, the encouragement to war of aggression, to nationalistic, racial or religious hatred, incitement to discrimination, territorial separatism, public violence, as well as other manifestations that attempt at the legality of the constitutional regime”. The Criminal Code (Article 347) punishes with up to 3 years in prison the “profanation of the flag, coat of arms, or anthem of the Republic of Moldova or of any other state”, though this has been criticised as inconsistent with international standards.[2]

Defamation has been decriminalised in Moldova in 2009. Yet, art. 70 of the Administrative Code still punishes libel and insults with up to 15 days in prison. Art. 16 of the Civil Code guarantees the right to respect, honour, dignity and professional reputation, and provides for the refutation of untruthful information and payment of moral and material compensations. The law places the burden of proof on journalists and does not specify the limits to compensation. As a result, authorities have in some cases claimed outrageous amounts in compensation from journalists as a way to influence the media and foster self-censorship.[2]

The 2006 Broadcasting Code is the law regulating the media field. The Code also defines the responsibilities and powers of the independent authority supervising it, the Broadcasting Coordinating Council (BCC). The Code also establishes that the BCC should allocate at least 70% of frequencies to programmes in the state language (Moldovan/Romanian language).[3]

The 2000 law on access to information provides that any resident citizen can request information from the public authorities without the need for justification. Yet, its implementation has been inconsistent. According to a 2008 monitoring report, authorities have responded only in 19.3% of cases.[2] Compliance remains weak, as no authority is tasked with enforcement or supervision. Access is more difficult outside the capital, particulary in the autonomous region of Gagauzia. A positive step was made in October 2014 when authorities cancelled fees to access information about companies registered in Moldova.[4]

A Law on state secret entered into force in May 2009, despite international concerns, restricting the possibility to access sensitive information.[2]

Internet is not regulated in Moldova. In the April 2009 Moldovan parliamentary election protests (the “Twitter revolution”) the Communist government has been accused of limiting or blocking access to media outlets, to prevent further mobilisation of the population.[2]

Status and self-regulation of journalists

Different media organisations, including Teleradio-Moldova, have elaborated their own professional codes of conduct. A Code of professional ethics was adopted in 1999 by the Union of Journalists from Moldova.[5]

In October 2009 a Press Council was set up by six civil society actors to increase the professionalism of print media and mediate in the disputes between readers and the press.[5]

Media outlets

Moldova (including Transnistria) hosted up to 410 media outlets in 2010, half of which established after 2000 - a relatively high number when compared to a small market.[1] In 2014 there are around 64 television channels (of which 5 with national coverage, 4 privately owned), 57 radio stations, and 400 print publications in operation.[4]

The media still command a high trust by the Moldovan population - 51.3% of Moldovan residents in 2009 affirmed to trust the media, which came second only to the Church (79.8%).[1] Among them, the highest-trusted media is the television (60%).[3]

The print media included around 60% of media outlets in 2008, with circulation figures ranging between 150/1000 copies for quarterly and biannual magazines, 500/25.000 for weeklies and 3000/9000 for dailies. Around 60% of the print media (50 outlets) is owned by the state, while 42 are private.[3]

Broadcasting media included in 2009 166 cable operators, 38 terrestrial TV channels and 50 radio stations. The TV is seen daily by 83.4% of the popolation (compared to 51.4% for the radio) and remains the main source of information for 72.9% of Moldovans (the radio only for 8.9% of them).[3]

Media pluralism has improved recently. Private owners control five of the six most popular TV channels, 2 of the top 3 radio stations, and 7 of the 8 major press agencies. Ownership transparency remains lacking, and concentration is not effectively regulated.[4]

The media in Moldova are regularly used as a tool to advance the commercial or political interests of their owners, particularly at time of electoral campaigns. Regulations require broadcasters to submit a plan for electoral coverage and declare ownership structures, but several channels failed to do so in 2014, including Channel 2, Channel 3, Prime TV and Publika TV.[4]

Print media

The print media maintains a small audience in Moldova. In November 2009, only 3% of citizens had the print media as their main source of information, and only 4.5% as most trusted media source. Only 10.2% read newspapers everyday, while 34.4% said they had not read a single newspaper in three months.[6]

The print media is traditionally divided along language lines (Romanian and Russian-language media). Other minorities (Ukrainian, Gagauz, Bulgarian and Jewish) also have their own publications, though mainly in Russian language.[6] Most Moldovan media are more committed to their owners' interests rather than to the general public ones'.[6]

The Moldovan print press is mainly concentrated in the capital Chisinau, and the regional press is underdeveloped. The weak distribution system penalises rural areas, where newspapers still arrive with up to several days of delay. Most newspapers have online editions with distinct and updated contents.[6]

The main daily newspaper in the republic, Moldova Suverana, is published by the government. Sfatul Ţării is published by Parliament, which also publishes the daily Nezavisimaya Moldova in Russian. Other principal newspapers include Rabochiy Tiraspol' (in Russian, the main newspaper of the Slavs in Transnistria), Ţara, Tineretul Moldovei/Molodezh Moldovy (in Romanian and Russian), and Viaţa satului (published by the government).

The main cultural publication in Moldova is the weekly journal Literatura şi arta, published by the Union of Writers of Moldova. Other principal periodicals include Basarabia (also published by the Writers' Union), Chipăruş, Alunelul, Femeia Moldovei, Lanterna Magică, Moldova, Noi, and SudEst.

Kishinëvskiye novosti, Kodry, and Russkoye Slovo are Russian-language periodicals. Other minority-language periodicals include Prosvita and Homin in Ukrainian, Ana sözu and Cîrlangaci in Gagauz, Rodno slovo in Bulgarian, and Undzer kol/Nash golos in Yiddish and Russian.

Some Moldovan press institutions have demonstrated a profitable potential. The Jurnal de Chisinau started as a weekly, became a daily and then launched an Internet TV channel and created a powerful media network, the Jurnal Trust Media.[6]

Radio broadcasting

Radio Moldova (RM) started broadcasting on 30 October 1930 with a Romanian-language programme from an improvised studio in Tiraspol. It is today hosted in a 10-storey building built in the early 1990s and is part of the public broadcaster IPNA “Teleradio-Moldova”, usually deemed pro-governmental.[7]

In October 1939, Radio Basarabia, a local station of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company, was the first radio station opened in Chișinău.

Antena C was launched in 1998, municipalised in 2004 and privatised in 2007, being taken over by acquaintances of the Party of Communists.[7]

Other popular radio stations include Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Vocea Basarabiei, Noroc, PRO FM Chisinau, Kiss FM, Radio Nova, Hit FM.[7]

Television broadcasting

Television in Moldova was introduced in April 1958, within the framework of Soviet television. Through cable, Moldovan viewers can receive a large number of Russian channels, a few Romanian channels, and several Russian language versions of international channels in addition to several local channels. One Russian and two local channels are aired.

Television industry in Moldova begun in 1956 with the construction of the country's first dedicated television tower in Chişinău which took a little over a year to complete, the finished tower was 196 meters tall and could broadcast within a 60 km radius. The first television transmission was sent on 30 April 1958 at 19:00 and included amongst other things cheers from all the parties that participated in the project's development as well as some local celebrities.
At first programs were broadcast only two times a week on Friday and Sunday but by the end of 1958 broadcasts became daily. The first live broadcast in the country also happened in 1958.

In 1961 the coverage area was expanded after several relay masts were constructed in Bălţi, Cahul and Comrat. Since 1974 all broadcasts were made in color and in 1977 the first dedicated television studio was built which is still in use to this day. In the early 80's there were more than a million citizens with access to television sets. During the Soviet era there weren't all that many channels available with most of them being news and general purpose channels which were all state owned.[8]

The industry didn't really change much and only after the fall of the USSR was when the television industry in the country really started to gain momentum. One of the first cable companies to begin their operation in the country was EuroCable which began its operation shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the company offered cable television to its customers with multiple local and foreign channels. EuroCable remained the dominant cable television provider until in the mid 90's it was bought by SunCommunications which merged it with its own service and re-branded it into SunTV. Because EuroCable and later SunTV began very early they gathered a large subscription base and remain the dominant cable television provider to this day offering their services in several large towns in the country. During the 2000s many other Chişinău based cable television providers such as Satellit, Delta and Alfa emerged offering similar services as SunTV. In 2013 there were 95 registered television providers.[9]

In 2007 Arax Communications launched its own cable television network called Zebra TV which became the first digital network in the country,[10] SunTV followed launching its own digital network later that year. Until recently accessing television was only possible via cable but in 2011 StarNet and Moldtelecom launched their separate IPTV services in Chişinău and other towns offering multiple channels on both SD and HD qualities.[11][12] Local broadcasting has remained fairly undeveloped since the time it was first launched although progress towards better quality is quite rapid with most local channels hoping to go digital by 2015.[13]

Other TV channels include the following ones.[14]

In late 2009, the main TV channels in Moldova include: Moldova 1 (56.2 percent), Prime TV (55.4 percent), Pro TV (30.7 percent), NIT (21.7 percent), TV7 (9.7 percent), etc.[14]

In the vigil of the Moldovan parliamentary election, 2014, most private channels aligned with specific political interests, favouring different candidates and parties.[4]

Subscriptions and Penetration level. (2014)[15]

Public service broadcaster

Moldova's state-owned national radio-TV broadcaster is Teleradio-Moldova (TRM), which includes the TV channels Moldova 1 and TV Moldova Internațional (until 2013) and the radio channels Radio Moldova and Radio Moldova Internaţional (with broadcasts in Romanian, English, French, Spanish and Russian).[14]

TRM is financed from the state budget and regulated under Moldova's Broadcasting Code by a Supervisory Board, ensuring that its activities serve the public interest. Notwithstanding several restructuring plans to transform it in a public service broadcaster, TRM remains biased in a pro-governmental way.[14]

In the 2009 Manole and others versus Moldova case, the European Court on Human Rights recognised a violation of freedom of expression (Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights) due to the censorship practices at TRM, deemed an unjustified interference in the journalists’ rights to free expression and free communication of information. At the time of the appeal (2002), TRM was the only channel with national coverage, and was particularly relevant for rural population without access to alternative sources of information (cable or satellite TV). The ECtHR thus reaffirmed the need for the state to provide impartial and unbiased information through its public service broadcaster.[14]

Cinema

Main article: Cinema of Moldova

The Cinema of Moldova developed in the early 1960s during the Soviet period, experiencing a flowering of about a decade and a half. Stagnation followed, and after the Moldavian SSR became independent in 1991, the industry almost completely disappeared.

Moldova hosts 44 rural and 14 municipal cinemas, with an annual audience of 5,000 and 26,000 people respectively. In 2010 all Moldovan cinemas (except Odeon) broadcast Russian-distributed movies, since the country still lacked a centre of synchronization/subtitling of movies in Romanian.[16]

The Cinematography Department within the Ministry of Culture was the regulatory authority in the film in 2001-2005, before being disbanded in 2006. Moldovan cinematography today lacks a comprehensive strategy.[16]

Production declined after the Soviet collapse and independence in the 1990s, while private studios for commercial productions appeared. Moldova-film, despite progressive dilapidation, maintained the inherited production capacities.[16]

The Union of Film Makers of Moldova, constituted in 1962 as part of the Union of Film Makers of the Soviet Union, had 200 members around 2009.[16]

Telecommunications

Telecommunications in Moldova are maintained at a relatively high performance level. Because Moldova is a small country, telecommunications companies managed to achieve good coverage in both wired and wireless communications infrastructure. Landline is available in most settlements, however mobile phone popularity has vastly increased in recent years. Mobile communications infrastructure are fairly well developed but suffer from high prices, nonetheless the amount of mobile subscriptions is growing very fast compared to the landline. As far as the Internet is concerned, Moldova has one of the best wired Internet connections in the world as well as one of the cheapest in $ per Mbit.

The TLC field is regulated by the National Agency for Regulation of Electronic Communications and for Technology of Information (ANRCETI), based on the Law on electronic communications, launched around 2000.[17]

The state-owned Moldtelecom dominates the fixed telephony market, with a 97.52% share in 2009 (1.104.000 users). Penetration rate is 31.7%.[17]

The mobile telephony market is shared among four main providers: Orange Moldova, operating since 1998 (France Télécom,Orange România; 74.24% market share in 2009); Moldocell, est. 2000 (TeliaSonera, Turkcell; 23.41%), Unite (Moldtelecom), and Eventis Mobile (Moldovan and Russian owners). Mobile penetration rate in 2009 was of 76.1%.[17]

Internet

Main article: Internet in Moldova

Internet in Moldova is hindered by an obsolete infrastructure and high subscription fees.[4] Online media started developing in Moldova in the late 2000s. In 2009, internet was the main source of information for only the 8.6% of residents, and the most trusted source for only the 6.7%. 17% of the population used internet daily, with a broadband penetration of 4.63%.[18] Internet penetration reached 47% in 2014.[4]

The Moldovan blogosphere is quite organised, with a website (Blogosfera.md) which in 2009 registered around 1000 blogs. It also holds a blogging competition (Blogovăţ). Journalists' blogs are also popular sources of information.[19]

Media Organisations

Media agencies

The state-owned Moldpres is the oldest news agency in Moldova. It was founded in 1935 as Moldovan Telegraphic Agency, and was known in 1990-1994 as Information Agency Moldova-press. It has been renamed and put under governmental control since 1994. Moldpres also publishes the official gazette Monitorul Oficial.[20]

BASA-press and Infotag are the first private news agencies in Moldova, both launched in 1992. Basa-press ended operations in 2010. Since 1997 DECA-press is a specialised news agency on regional development. Imedia was launched by former Radio BBC Chisinau employees, upon the closure of the channel in 2008. Infomarket.Md is devoted to economics news. Other news agencies include Info-Prim Neo, Interlic, Noutati-Moldova, Omega.[20]

News agencies operating in the separatist region of Transnistria include Ольвия-Пресс (Olvia-Press) founded in 1992; Новый Регион-Приднестровье (New Region - Transnistria), part of the Russian Agency Новый Регион; and Лента ПМР (Lenta PMR)[20]

Trade unions

The Union of Moldovan Journalists, founded in 1957 as a creative organisation, was re-organised in 1998 into a journalistic union. In 2009 it had around 400 members, but no real influence. In 2004 the Communist government tried to oppose it with an alternative trade union of loyalist journalists, the League of Professional Journalists, which was only operational for a year, but the polarisation of media professionals along partisan lines.[21]

The Association of Independent Press, established in 1997, works for the development of independent regional media. The Association of Electronic Press (APEL), created in 1999, aiming to contribute to the development of the audiovisual domain. The Centre for promotion of freedom of expression and access to information “Access-Info” was established in 2000 and participated in the drafting of the new Law on access to information. Other professional associations include the Centre of Young Journalist from Moldova, founded in 2002, and the Association of Business Journalists .[21]

In 2003 a group of Moldovan journalists and three media organisations (the Association of Independent Press, the Association of Electronic Press and the Press Freedom Committee) founded the Investigative Journalism Center.[21]

The UN Resident Coordinator Office in Moldova founded the UN Journalists' Club in September 2001.[21]

Regulatory authorities

The regulatory authority on public and private audiovisual media in Moldova is the Broadcasting Coordinating Council (Consiliul Coordonator al Audiovizualului - CCA), which supervises the enactment of the Broadcasting Code, and issues broadcasting licenses and retransmission authorizations. The CCA can examine complaints, ex officio or upon request, and hand gradual sanctions (public warning, temporary withdrawal of the right to broadcast advertisements, fine, temporary suspension of the license, and withdrawal of the broadcasting license). Its 9 members are appointed by the Moldovan Parliament to represent the public interest - although the appointment process is highly politicised.[22] The CCA's "perceived lack of independence and politicized, opaque decision-making" remains a strong issue.[4]

Teleradio-Moldova's Supervisory Board (Consiliul de Observatori - CO), established under the Broadcasting Code, is tasked with ensuring that the national public broadcaster works in the public’s best interest. Its 9 members are promiment figures of the Moldovan public sphere, appointed by the Parliament. The Supervisory Board may adopt TRM Statute, approve its financial plan and editorial policy, and monitor its activities. It also confirms TRM's President and channels' Directors. As the CCA, the CO has so far been lacking in independence and remained highly vulnerable to political influences. In 2009, after the change in power, the CO dismissed TRM's President and Directors.[22]

Censorship and media freedom

Moldova is ranked as "partly free" in Freedom House 2015 Freedom of the Press report, with a score of 55.[4] Reporters without borders rank it as 72nd of 180 countries - on a decline from the 55th/56th positions of 2012/2014, though better than the 98th/114th positions of 2008/2009.[23]

Attacks and threats against journalists

Physical attacks against journalists are rather rare in Moldova.[4]

In some cases, detention have been reported as a way to stifle free speech

Political interferences

Authorities prohibited journalists to be present at the renewed Parliament's plenary hall, restricting them to a separate press room. The Independent Journalism Centre (IJC) criticised the polict as a violation of access and pressed the government to repeal it, also lamenting the insufficient space devoted to journalists.[4]

In January 2014 several cable operators excluded three broadcasters from their basic packages. The excluded ones were the opposition-linked Accent TV, the critical Jurnal TV, and RTR Moldova which rebroadcasts Russian media. They were reintroduced following objections from the public and international organisations such as the OSCE.[4]

Civil defamation lawsuits

Despite decriminalisation of defamation in 2009, cases keep being filed against media outlets in the Moldovan courts, which are reputed for their lack of integrity. Courts also do not publish number of cases filed.[4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Diana Lungu, Moldova #Introduction, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Diana Lungu, Moldova #Media Legislation, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  3. 1 2 3 4 Diana Lungu, Moldova #Traditional Media, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Freedom House, Moldova 2015 Press Freedom report
  5. 1 2 Diana Lungu, Moldova #Accountability systems, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Diana Lungu, Moldova #Print Media, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  7. 1 2 3 Diana Lungu, Moldova Radio, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  8. ↑ "Istoric | Stiri Moldova, video, stiri, stiri online | IPNA "Teleradio-Moldova"". Trm.md. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
  9. ↑ "Creşteri uşoare pe piaţa serviciului de televiziune furnizat contra plată | ANRCETI". Anrceti.md. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
  10. ↑ "Zebra Tv". Zebra.md. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
  11. ↑ "StarNet". Starnet.md. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
  12. ↑ "Televiziune digitală | Moldtelecom". Moldtelecom.md. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
  13. ↑ Archived September 22, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Diana Lungu, Moldova #Television, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  15. ↑ "Evoluţia pieţei: sectorul audiovizual | ANRCETI". Anrceti.md. 2010-09-13. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 Diana Lungu, Moldova #Cinema, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  17. 1 2 3 Diana Lungu, Moldova #Telecommunications, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  18. ↑ Diana Lungu, Moldova #New Media, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  19. ↑ Diana Lungu, Moldova #Digital Media, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  20. 1 2 3 Diana Lungu, Moldova #News Agencies, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  21. 1 2 3 4 Diana Lungu, Moldova #Trade Unions, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  22. 1 2 3 Diana Lungu, Moldova #Regulatory authorities, EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010
  23. ↑ RSF Moldova
  24. ↑ OSCE RFoM
  25. ↑ OSCE RFoM
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