Senate Committee Supports Mandatory TV Airtime For Cultural Programs

05.03.2011 By Bostan Radu

The Romanian Senate's committee for culture matters on Tuesday voted to support a bill which requires television stations to reserve airtime for cultural and educational broadcasts.

The Romanian Senate's committee for culture matters on Tuesday voted to support a bill which requires television stations to reserve airtime for cultural and educational broadcasts.

The bill, which amends Law 504/2002 on broadcasting, says cultural programming will be allotted at least two hours airtime per week on general audience stations, or at least half an hour on news stations.

Liberal deputy Mirel Talos, the bill's sponsor, said culture has disappeared from the line-up of commercial television stations, having been replaced by entertainment programming.

He rejected accusations of meddling with the stations' broadcast policy, arguing that they are under an obligation to promote culture and education.

Talos also pointed out that his initiative received unanimous support in the lower house's committee for culture.

National Broadcasting Council (CNA) vice-president Ioan Onisei said the CNA supports this bill, which is also in agreement with a European Directive.

During the debates, social democrat senator Georgica Severin said the bill set a dangerous precedent of state interference with broadcasting, asking rhetorically whether the Parliament will charge these stations a lower profit tax, since they are required to carry programs that brings no advertising revenue.

Democrat liberal senator Radu Alexandru, while supportive of more cultural programming, was skeptical of such a regulation being imposed on private TV stations.