Romania

[RO] Audiovisual Act No.48/1992 Amended and Completed

IRIS 1999-3:1/17

Mariana Stoican

Journalist, Bucharest

In December 1998 the amendments to the Audiovisual Act No.48/1992 ( Lege pentru modificarea si completarea Legii audiovizualului nr.48/1992) were approved by Parliament. The amendments were essentially aimed at completing the Act in order to promote European productions.

The new provisions of the Act stipulate that public and private television companies in Romania have until 1 January 2003, as far as possible, to gradually give greater priority to European audiovisual productions until they represent the majority of programmes broadcast, excluding air time devoted to news and sports programmes, television plays, advertising and teletext services.

A "European audiovisual production" is any programme produced in a Council of Europe member State or created wholly or for the most part by producers and authors residing in a Council of Europe member State. At least 40 % of these European audiovisual productions should be Romanian, ie produced in Romania or created wholly or for the most part by producers and authors residing in Romania.

In accordance with audiovisual standards to be laid down by the regional parliament, television stations should also gradually make 10 % of their broadcasting time available to programmes made by independent producers (ie those not employed by the particular broadcasting company).

On 16 December 1997, the Romanian Christian Democratic Agrarian Party MP George Serban, a member of the parliamentary committee concerned, submitted a new proposal for a future Audiovisual Act, under which the wording of the current Act would be amended to 70 %. By means of the proposed new regulations, the author hoped to ensure greater protection of minors from violent or erotic television scenes as well as to push through stricter regulations to control media concentration. The legislative council has not yet given its opinion on these proposals.