Romania’s National Audiovisual Council (CNA) has taken the unusual step of requiring Realitatea TV to go off the air for 10 minutes on Thursday, January 17, between 19.00-19.10.
This follows from what it says are violations of audiovisual legislation pertaining to the coverage of an anti–corruption rally in the capital, Bucharest, in August 2018.
According to Mediafax, CNA’s decision has been widely condemned by both Realitatea TV and opposition politicians.
It adds that the regulator has since confirmed its decision to impose the 10-minute blackout on Realitatea TV.
Commenting on the decision, Realitatea TV’s director Edward Pastia said: “We are confused with the decision of the CNA, it is very difficult to find words in such a situation. The CNA instigates censorship, we cannot present reality as the CNA wishes or as PSD or PSD wants through the CNA. We present it as it is. If the CNA thinks that other posts that have been subjected to violence by August 10, they seem OK and are sanctioned with RON5,000-10,000, and we have to close our broadcast. Shutting down a TV station without any proof, it’s incredible what’s going on at the CNA. We do not understand why this has happened”.
