Moldova
[MD] Sound deviations sanctioned
IRIS 2026-1:1/14
Andrei Richter
Comenius University (Bratislava)
At its meeting on 12 December 2025, the Audiovisual Council (CA), the national media regulator of Moldova, approved a decision on sound violations in audiovisual media services.
Article 63(6) of the Audiovisual Media Services Code of the Republic of Moldova requires media service providers “to level the sound volume” between audiovisual programmes and commercial breaks therein. Monitoring of the sound levels of the Canal Regional, Cinema 1 and TV-Drochia audiovisual media services conducted in early November 2025 had found around 90 violations of this rule. The maximum sound deviations were -2.1, -1.8 and -19.9 LUFS (Loudness Units Full Scale) respectively. LUFS is a standard metric for measuring perceived audio loudness, accounting for how the human ear interprets different frequencies.
The CA decided to impose a fine of 3 000 Moldovan lei (€150) on the owners of each service provider. In accordance with Article 84 of the Audiovisual Media Services Code, the media service providers concerned are also obliged to broadcast the text of the sanction within 48 hours of adoption of the relevant decision, audibly and/or visually, at least three times during prime time, including once in their main audiovisual news programme, if applicable. If such minor violations are repeated three times within a year, the provider’s broadcasting licence may be suspended for up to a week, while five violations over the same period can lead to a suspension for up to two months.
This decision may be contested in an administrative dispute procedure at Chisinau City Court.
References
- Codul serviciilor media audiovizuale al Republicii Moldova nr. 174/2018 din 08-11-2018
- https://www.legis.md/cautare/getResults?doc_id=125226&lang=ro
- Audiovisual Media Services Code of the Republic of Moldova No. 174/2018 of 8 November 2018
- Consiliul Audiovizualului. Decizia nr. 246 din 12 decembrie 2025. “Cu privire la examinarea rezultatelor controlului efectuat în temeiul Deciziei Consiliului Audiovizualului nr. 226 din 13 noiembrie 2025”
- Audiovisual Council decision no. 246 of 12 December 2025 on the examination of the results of the checks carried out pursuant to Audiovisual Council decision no. 226 of 13 November 2025
This article has been published in IRIS Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory.