Romania

[RO] Sanctions for Possible Breach of Programming Guidelines?

IRIS 2001-10:1/21

Mariana Stoican

Journalist, Bucharest

The Consiliul National al Audiovizualului (CNA), the body responsible for monitoring the electronic media, has announced that it will be submitting an interview programme broadcast on public radio for expert analysis. It is alleged that the programme breached programming guidelines.

This move follows an interview conducted by a journalist with a senator representing an extremist and ultra-nationalist opposition party. Even in the early stages of the interview, the senator had repeatedly accused Romania of supporting Islamic groups in 1995 and criticised the current government.

Since the senator had made similar comments prior to the interview, both the Administratia Prezidentiala (President's Office) and the Serviciul de Potectie si Paza ("Protection and Supervision Service") had already denied these accusations before the interview took place. Consequently, on the basis of paragraphs 39 and 40 in connection with Article 2 of Act No.48 on Radio and Television Programmes of 21 May 1992, which deals with programming guidelines on subjects such as disparagement of the State, the CNA promised to refer the case to the criminal prosecution authorities.

The interviewer was suspended for one month by the national radio authority because he had not sufficiently distanced himself from the senator's comments.