Moldova Law Change May Silence Most Western TV Channels

The American Chamber of Commerce of Moldova, the National Association of ICT Companies and the Association of Foreign Investors, representing the foreign business community, have jointly condemned a new media regulation as damaging and incompatible with the country's stated commitments.

Their reaction on Thursday followed adoption of an amendment to the code of audiovisual media services, which entered into force on February 1, which will forbid cable TV networks from re-broadcasting international TV channels containing advertising or teleshopping commercials.

The legislative change risks stopping the re-transmission in Moldova of some the most popular international stations. Cable TV operators have identified over 90 channels that are the subject to this law, which make up about 50 per cent of the operators' TV grids.

The parliament adopted the amendment on December 19, 2019, on the initiative of the Socialist Party head of the Commission for Culture, Education, Research, Youth, Sport and the Media, Adrian Lebedinschi.

On Thursday, Business associations issued a press release arguing that the initiative had not follow an impact analysis, nor had it been a topic for prior public consultation. They also pointed out that Moldovan cable operators cannot intervene and modify the content of programmes.

"The new provisions impose on cable TV operators the obligation to exclude advertising from re-transmitted foreign stations, a task incompatible with their status as a media service provider, as defined in the code of audiovisual media services and the European Convention on cross-border television," the press release said.

They also say that the law change contravenes the international commitments that Moldova made when it joined the...