OSI and CJI to launch Romanian 2008 Follow-Up Report
On 19 May 2008 in Bucharest the Romanian Center for Independent Journalism (Centrul pentru Jurnalism Independent, CJI) and the Open Society Institute (OSI) will present a new report on the situation of broadcasting in Romania. The report, drafted by Manuela Preoteasa, is part of the series Television across Europe: Follow-up Reports 2008. It is available in both English and Romanian.
The event’s agenda includes: Marius Dragomir, OSI Network Media Program (Before the storm. Trends in European Television); Mark Thompson, OSI Network Media Program (The ostrich reflex. Regulation and public service broadcasting) and Manuela Preoteasa, country rapporteur (The TV map in 2008).
The second part of the debate will include a panel on the impact of the digitalisation on the Romanian broadcast media. Participants will include representatives of the parliamentary media committees, members of the regulatory boards, journalists and managers with the public broadcasters, as well as representatives of the media and professional media organizations.
According to the Romanian follow-up report, hopes that the 2004 elections and the end of Social Democratic rule would boost media independence have been disappointed. Instead, Romanian broadcasting remains the playground of media moguls who are interested in pursuing their political and business interests rather than producing high-quality, independent and diverse television programmes. Commercial broadcasting in Romania is dominated by a concentration of capital in the hands of a few giants. Legislation does not require transparency of ownership and does not obstruct cross-ownership of different media outlets. Public service broadcasting is dominated by a “corrupt political climate”.
There is no strategy for the switchover to digitalisation, due to take place in less than four years (2012). Policy recommendations on how to address this situation, included in the report, will be discussed at the event. For more information about the event contact the Center for Independent Journalism in Bucharest (http://www.cji.ro).
