Fear, Panic And Headlines Draw Fines

Michael Hedges October 31, 2013 - Follow on Twitter

Attention to facts should be a duty of the news media. Regulation has its limits. The intent is keeping order among the notoriously unruly media tribe. Wild and crazy headlines may attract viewers and readers but earthquakes, literally and figuratively, can induce panic.

Keeping Romanian broadcasters on the straight and narrow is regulator National Audiovisual Council (CNA). This week the agency punished Realitatea TV for inaccurate coverage of protests against a shale gas exploration project near the east-central village of Pungesti. A screen title accompanying the station’s news bulletin indicated a possible fatality among the protestors, denied by local police. The screen title was visible for three minutes, sufficient for CNA monitoring to note.

“All media service providers are required to provide objective information to the public by presenting correct facts and events and encourage the free formation of opinions,” said CNA president Laura Georgescu in a statement announcing a RON 30,000 fine, about €6,700, following the October 29th meeting. Energy exploration company Chevron suspended the project citing local misunderstanding of the effects. Local residents in the predominantly agricultural area expressed fear of earthquakes and water pollution from the mining operation.

The regulator reminded Romanian television broadcasters to take care in reporting earthquakes, several occurring in the east-central part of the country during October. The subject of earthquakes, said CNA member Valentin Jucan, quoted by mediafax.ro (October 29), “creates a state of panic and fear.” Current Romanian audiovisual rules state, the regulators reminded, “accounts of disasters or collective tragedy must be conducted with decency and discretion, without inducing panic.”

Television increases the panic, said CNA member Florin Gabrea, during the meeting. “These reports are dramatized, made in the studio, with serious sounding music in the background, which only creates further panic.” The CNA agreed to ask TV broadcasters to emphasize the “educational component rather than the spectacular.”

Pro TV received a RON 20,000 fine for a news item broadcast in August titled “Murder and suicide by chainsaw.” The CAN cited protection of minors concerns as the news report was broadcast in the early evening. “These were shocking images for a parent not to mention a child who was unfortunately near the TV at that time,” said CNA member Narcisa Iorca, quoted by ziare.com (October 29). In defense, a Pro TV spokesperson said the gruesome story had “made headlines in the newspapers.”

The biggest fine levied by the CNA at the October session was against satellite channel DDTV (Direct Digital TV), principally owned by minor politician and media entrepreneur Dan Diaconescu. For “unprecedented abuse” of regulations requiring operators to seek approval before making any programming, the channel now owes the CAN RON 100,000, about €22,500, reported mediafax.ro (October 29). DDTV is licensed to Italy, slightly complicating the matter, and uses a Romanian satellite provider for distribution.

Mr. Diaconescu has been before the CNA before and often. He owned the now defunct channel OTV, subject to numerous fines, which he never paid. Eventually the CNA voided the OTV cable license for non-payment just as the company declared bankruptcy. Mr. Diaconescu appealed twice, each time rejected by courts. The station maintained an online presence.

In the week prior, Mr. Diaconescu indicated OTV would return to the airwaves with a Vatican City license. The Archdiocese of Bucharest denied this, saying the Vatican doesn’t issue broadcast licenses and, anyway, Mr. Diaconescu isn’t a Vatican City resident. The Bishops called the claims “completely false and unfounded.”

It seems that DDTV broadcast a program or programs from OTV through the October 18/19 weekend. DDTV is authorized to broadcast movies (two-thirds) and music (one-third) and the OTV program mainly consisted of tabloid items introduced by Mr. Diaconescu. The CNA requested spectrum regulator ANCOM and satellite provider Digital Sky “suspend” DDTV while investigating “issues of a criminal nature.” Mr. Diaconescu filed a complaint against Ms Georgescu and other CNA members with the Romanian Prosecutor General for abuse of office.

The National Audiovisual Council of Romania (Consiliul National al AudiovizualuluI) consists of a president and ten members, appointed for six-year terms. It administers the Romanian Broadcasting Act for radio, television and cable stations. The CNA holds open meetings, usually quite calm, almost every Tuesday and Thursday.

See also in ftm Knowledge

Media in Romania and Moldova

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