Blocked Accounts Force Closure of Romanian Public TV Channel

23-07-2015

Blocked Accounts Force Closure of Romanian Public TV Channel

By Iulia Blaga

BUCHAREST: Following the blocking of its accounts by the National Agency for Fiscal Administration on 20 July 2015, the Council of Administration of the Romanian public broadcaster SRTV has decided to close TVR News on 1 August 2015.

Romanian public television which runs several channels (TVR 1, TVR 2, TVR 3, TVR HD, TVR News, TVR i, TVR Moldova and five territorial studios) has a fiscal debt of approximately 103.5m EUR/457 m RON accumulated since 2005.

The broadcaster is also discussing the possibility of eliminating TVR HD and transforming TVR 2 into a high definition channel. Further administrative measures were taken. According to TVR, its debts decreased by 11% from approximately 178.4m EUR/ 788 m RON to 158.5 m EUR/699.4 m RON at the end of 2014 compared to 2013. The fiscal debts decreased by 12% in 2014. The public license TV fee is 11 EUR per year.

The management of SRTV has also proposed a law to de-politicize its Council of Administration by inviting representatives of various media institutions.

Published in Romania