Radio România Internațional

Tag: license fee

  • Untitled post 589785

    The Management Board of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation issued a unanimously adopted stand regarding the draft law on the cancellation of the radio and TV license fee:



    As regards the draft law on the cancellation of several charges and on amending and completing several laws, which also provides for amending articles 40 and 41 of Law no. 41/1994 on the organization and functioning of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation and the Romanian Television, republished, with subsequent amendments and additions, in the sense of eliminating the license fee for the public radio service, we announce that the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation DOES NOT support the passing of this draft law for the following reasons:



    The draft law on the cancellation of several charges and on amending and completing several laws may have the desired social impact if and only if each case is analyzed from the point of view of its medium and long term social consequences.



    As results from the statement of reasons of the draft law, the elimination of the more than 100 charges is meant to “reduce the time spent queuing at various desks for the payment of dues and to streamline the activity of public institutions in order to simplify and speed up internal processes”.



    It can be easily noticed that the cancellation of the radio and TV license fee, despite the fact that it does not observe the purpose for which the draft law was initiated, radically affects the autonomous and independent existence of the public media services.



    Before giving our stand on the adequacy of this measure, we must highlight that the role of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation as a public service of national interest, as established by law, must be regarded both from the prospect of its nature as a public service and from the point of view of the audiences contribution to the existence of this service.



    The license fee for the public radio service is the main source of funding for the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation and it has been paid by the citizens of Romania since the public service was set up in 1928, no matter the political regime.



    The amount of this fee (2.5 lei per household/ per month) is the lowest in Europe – around 7 Euros per year, being 4 up to 5 times smaller than in Serbia, Poland, Greece, Slovakia and 8 times smaller than in the Czech Republic.



    Most of the public media services in Europe are funded through the payment of fees/dues by citizens, and in those countries where such fees do not exist, editorial independence is affected. Some of the countries that have understood that this form of funding helps provide correct and fair information to citizens on issues of public interest are: Great Britain, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Belgium, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Greece, Portugal, etc.



    In 2015, the revenues obtained from the payment of the license fee for the public radio service stood at 207 million lei, accounting for 48% of the Corporations total revenues. The other own revenues (advertisement, sponsorships, concerts, the Gaudemus book fair, services, etc.) amounted to almost 24 million lei, accounting for almost 6% of the total revenues. The remaining revenues of 196 million lei represented allocations from the state budget meant for the payment of the radio signal transmission services and for the functioning of the Music Ensembles Department, of Radio Romania International and of Radio Romania Chişinău.



    Given the above, in the event of canceling the license fee for the public radio service, the supplementary financial effort sustained from the state budget to fund the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation (SRR) would amount to at least 210 million lei per year, not to mention the capital expenditure needed for funding the Corporations investments, which are estimated at almost 15 million lei per year.



    One cannot ignore the fact that the radio license fee is meant to fund the activity of the Public Radio as an autonomous, editorially independent public service of national interest. Therefore, we cannot agree with the statement of reasons stipulated in the draft law related to the fact that the revenues will be provided from the state budget in the spirit of transparency and efficiency.



    The cancellation of the radio and TV license fee is not in accordance with Directive 2010/13/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 March 2010, which states that “Audiovisual media services are as much cultural services as they are economic services. Their growing importance for societies, democracy – in particular by ensuring freedom of information, diversity of opinion and media pluralism – education and culture justifies the application of specific rules to these services.”



    In this context we consider that the two reasons mentioned earlier are not enough for the cancellation of this license fee, given that in the case of the Public Radio they are not relevant, because several key issues have been omitted, namely:


    – there is no mention as to the legal status of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, which is already rather unclear, in the context in which funding will be provided from the budget;


    – there is no estimation of the amounts of money the Romanian Government intends to allot under the budget law so as to cover the current expenses SRR will incur in order to remain on the media market to provide services for its audience, not to mention the continuous need for development;


    • – what is the editorial impact of such a financial subordination and to what extent we can further speak about editorial independence in such conditions.


    Such a substantial change in the case of SRR and the Romanian Television (SRTv) has major consequences on the concept of the law as a whole, entailing a complete change of paradigm, which makes us consider insufficient the correction brought only to art. 40 and 41 of Law No. 41/1994, republished, with subsequent amendments and additions.


    Attention should also be paid to the fact that the mass media remain an instrument of political influence, and that they risk losing their capacity to further accomplish their public mission of educator, culture and information provider while reflecting a breadth and diversity of opinion, which is so much needed on the audiovisual market, given that private media groups are mainly profit-driven.



    The Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation should remain editorially and financially independent, irrespective of the governing parties, the radio license fee being an essential link between the paying citizens and the public radio service provided to them and on their behalf.



    The public radios being funded from the state budget turns it into a government radio station, the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation thus losing its autonomy and independence, as well as its credibility in accomplishing its public mission to the citizens benefit.



    Amending art. 40 and 41 of Law No.41/1994, republished with later subsequent amendments and additions, serves exclusively the purpose of canceling several charges, but poses many legal, organizational, economic and social problems, being insufficient for SRR and SRTv to function continuously and have a clear legal status.



    According to the provisions of art.1, art.2 and art.8 of Law No. 41/1994, republished, the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation is an autonomous, editorially independent public service of national interest, which carries out its activity under the control of Parliament, its autonomy and editorial independence being guaranteed by law and protected from any interference by public authority, as well as from the influence of any parties, social and political groups, trade unions, trade and economic bodies and pressure groups.



    By using the phrase “autonomous entity”, the lawmaker obviously intended to regulate the independent and autonomous management of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, in accordance with the provisions of art. 31, para (5) of the Constitution, with consequences on the editorial and economic functioning of the radio broadcaster, according to its own norms, allowing it to comply with its obligation to ensure, throughout its entire activity, “pluralism, free expression of ideas and opinions, free communication of information, as well as correct information for the public.”



    The autonomy and editorial independence of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation are not limited to the editorial activity alone, they also cover other organizational, financial and managerial aspects.



    That is why the lawmaker stipulated under art. 40 of Law No. 41/1994 that the own revenues of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation mainly come from the collection of the radio license fee, which was established to guarantee the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporations autonomous activity from all points of view, just as the Constitutional Court underlined every time it ruled on the constitutionality of the radio and TV license fee.



    To that end, under Decision No.159/2004 by the Constitutional Court, it becomes clear that “The autonomy of these services helps provide correct information to people on issues of public interest and ensures an organized framework for the freedom of opinion, the freedom to receive and communicate information or ideas, without interference by public authority.”



    Art. 40 of Law No.41/1994 is part of chapter IV -“Financial activity” which contains organizational rules on the assets and financial resources of the public radio and television services, their administration and management. Given that the provisions of art.31 para (5) of the Constitution guarantee the autonomy of the aforementioned services, it is imperative that their organization be thus regulated by an organic law, so as to ensure their functional autonomy.



    Consequently, it is only by maintaining the provisions of the current law which regulates the payment of a license fee for the public radio and television broadcasting services that their financial autonomy can be ensured, as a prerequisite for their autonomous organization.



    In conclusion, we do not agree with the draft law on the elimination of the radio license fee. Once applied, the measure will soon be followed by a decrease in the quality of the editorial act, to the detriment of the Romanian citizens, will level down the activity of the two public media institutions, whose very existence will be threatened, in the name of transparency and efficiency at a purely declarative level.



    It is common knowledge that “he who pays the piper calls the tune”! Please, do not cut off the sole link between the public radio and its audience., considers the Management Board of Radio Romania.

  • January 6, 2017 UPDATE

    January 6, 2017 UPDATE

    LAW – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, Friday signed into law a bill scrapping 102 charges and fees, after the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body in this respect, rejected his request to have the bill revised. Previously, the head of state had also challenged the law with the Constitutional Court. The charges in question include the public radio and television license fee, the environment fee charged on second-hand vehicles, a number of consular and citizenship fees, and the ones for the re-issue or the amendment of certain documents.




    LOCAL WEATHER – The east of Romania remains subject to a code yellow alert against blizzard and snowstorms until Saturday. Snowfalls will not be substantial, but the wind is expected to reach 50 – 60 km/h and even 70 km/h in places. Several counties in the east and south-east of the country were subject to red code and orange code alerts against bad weather. The Interior Minister, Carmen Dan, announced that a person died, because the ambulance arrived too late. Tens of national roads were closed down and hundreds of villages and towns were left in the dark by power shortages. Railway traffic was temporarily suspended in the south east, while several other trains, connecting Bucharest to other European capital cities and Romanian destinations were cancelled.



    WEATHER IN EUROPE – Blizzard and extremely low temperatures are also reported in the Republic of Moldova, where a code orange alert against heavy snowfalls is in force, in the centre and the south. Operations in the international commodity and passenger port Giurgiuleşti were suspended and several checkpoints on the Romanian and Ukrainian borders were closed down. The heavy snowfalls and blizzard also disrupted air traffic at the Chisinau International Aiport. Flights from and to Bucharest, London, Istanbul and Moscow reported delays and some were cancelled altogether. The situation is similar in central Europe. Poland is swept by a wave of cold, with temperatures dropping to minus 25 degrees Celsius. Heavy snowfalls are reported in the northern half of Italy and Germany is facing the same situation, with a high risk of flooding. Bad weather is also reported in Denmark, Sweden and Croatia.




    Govt – The Government of Romania Friday approved an increase of the national minimum wage from about 280 euros to 320 euro as of February 1. According to a news release issued by the Government, the measure will raise the economic growth rate by a rough 0.2% and will encourage employment. At the same time, the document reads, the increase will have a notable social impact, helping to raise living standards and bridging social gaps. Also, the salaries of artists and the personnel of performing arts institutions were raised by 50%. The Government also raised public pensions, with the minimum guaranteed social pensions set to reach 115 euros as of March 1.



    STRIKE – The coal workers at the Lupeni pit in the Jiu Valley area in south-western Romania Friday resumed the protest they had suspended on Thursday night, disgruntled with not seeing any of their demands met. Among other things, they want solutions to be found for the supply of strictly necessary materials underground, and want the management to give up plans to idle the employees for a one-week period each. Several miners and trade union leaders are on hunger strike.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • December 17, 2016

    December 17, 2016

    COMMEMORATION – In the western Romanian city of Timişoara, ceremonies have been organised to commemorate 27 years since the start of the Revolution of December 1989, which brought down the communist regime. A day of mourning is observed on Saturday in the city, in memory of the heroes who died in Timisoara. Sparked by the locals opposition to an abusive measure of the city hall, the protests quickly spread across the country, culminating on December 22 with dictator Nicolae Ceausescus attempted escape. More than 1,000 people died and another 3,400 were wounded between December 16 and 25, 1989. Romania was the only Eastern Bloc country where the communist regime was overthrown in a violent manner and the communist leaders were executed.



    DISPUTE – The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday that the issue of the Romanian gold reserve had a significant historical component and that it was first and foremost something for a bilateral team of historians to deal with. According to the Russian diplomacy, historical issues, including the matter of the gold reserve, were not covered by the Russian-Romanian Treaty, and a joint team of historians was tasked with researching the issue. The Russian authorities say the interim findings of this committee are to be presented at a meeting held in Moscow next year. The Russian Foreign Ministry made these clarifications after Mugur Isarescu, Governor of the National Bank of Romania, said Russia was still to return to Romania the gold reserve sent for safekeeping in the Russian Empire 100 years ago. According to the archive of the central bank, in 1916 and 1917 Romania sent to Moscow 1,926 cases containing gold coins and bars, as well as cases of jewellery belonging to Queen Marie.



    DEFENCE – The Romanian authorities are making progress in identifying another 12 aicraft to be included in the equipment of the Romanian Air Forces, but talks with the representatives of the country that produces these devices must first be held, the Romanian Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc said on Friday at Air Base 86, Borcea. He answered a question regarding the acquisition of a new squadron of F-16 fighters. In 2013, Romania decided to purchase 12 used F-16 aircraft from Portugal, but according to experts the country needs 48 multirole planes, that is, another 4 squadrons.



    LEGISLATION – The bill drafted by the Social Democratic Party on the scrapping of 102 charges and fees, including the radio and television license fee, will be sent back to Parliament for review. President Klaus Iohannis made this decision on the same day that the Constitutional Court announced the bill did not come against the Constitution. The Presidents move triggered the discontent of the Social Democratic leader, Liviu Dragnea, the initiator of the bill. Dragnea vowed not to give up the elimination of the respective charges, and said the bill would once again be pushed through Parliament.



    US-RUSSIA – US President Barack Obama said his country would respond to the cyber-attacks launched by Russia during the presidential election campaign in November. The American authorities say they have evidence that hackers linked to Kremlin broke into the email accounts of members of the Democratic candidate Hillary Clintons team, to help the campaign of Republican candidate Donald Trump. Not much happens in Russia without Vladimir Putin, President Obama told a press conference, virtually confirming the view that Russian President Putin was personally involved in the attempts to hack into the computers of the National Democratic Committee. Russia denied the accusations.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • November 10, 2016

    November 10, 2016

    US PRESIDENCY – The President in office of the USA, Barack Obama, is to receive his successor, Donald Trump, at the White House today, for talks on the presidential transition. On Wednesday, thousands gathered in several American cities to protest the election of the Republican Donald Trump as the 45th President of the US, criticising his rhetoric against immigrants, Muslims and other groups. The protesters, who carried anti-Trump banners and flags, blocked traffic in several cities, but according to police sources most rallies were without incidents.




    HIGH-LEVEL MEETING – The PM of Romania, Dacian Cioloş, has a meeting today in Timisoara, western Romania, with his Serb counterpart, Alexandar Vucic, with whom he is to discuss mainly about Serbias EU accession, including ways in which Romania is able to support this process. The two will also look at how the rights of the Romanian minority in Serbia are respected. Several agreements will be signed, including one on preventing and managing disasters. Under this agreement, the two countries will provide mutual assistance in the event of disasters whose consequences cannot be fully removed through the efforts of the affected or threatened state.




    JUSTICE – The Romanian Justice Minister, Raluca Prună, offered Bucharests support for the reform process in the Republic of Moldova. At a Forum organised in Chisinau and focusing on fighting corruption, she emphasised that a state cannot be modernised and reformed without an independent judicial system. According to a news release issued by the Romanian Justice Ministry, the Forum is organised by Ms Pruna jointly with her Moldovan counterpart, Vladimir Cebotari, and is intended to become the main communication platform leading to the development of bilateral cooperation in this sector.




    INFLATION – The National Bank of Romania has kept its inflation estimate for this year at negative 0.4%, but has revised its forecast for next year from the 2% estimated in August to 2.1%, reads the Quarterly Report on Inflation presented today by the central bank governor Mugur Isărescu. The National Bank chief mentioned, among the factors that influence inflation, several international elements, like the uncertainty in financial markets induced by the outcome of the US presidential election and by the decisions of oil exporting countries, as well as domestic elements, such as the increase in consumption. The international factors reduce the inflation, whereas the domestic ones encourage it, Isarescu says. According to him, domestic demand has been stimulated excessively, which led to an increase in imports.




    RADIO LICENSE FEE – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, is taking part today in a debate on the write off of the public radio and television license fee. The event is designed to facilitate the dialogue between the head of state and journalists, representatives of mass media organisations and civil society members, about the current state of the public broadcasters. The meeting takes place after Parliament endorsed a bill that scraps more than a hundred taxes and fees, including the radio and television license fees. In a separate debate on the same topic, held on Monday at the Romanian Television Corporation, participants emphasised that by eliminating the radio and television license fees, the direct connection between citizens and public services is cut off. Moreover, this would endanger the very operation of the two public broadcasters as of January 1 next year.




    FOOTBALL – Romanias national football team is preparing for tomorrows game on home turf against Poland, in the qualifying stage for the 2018 World Cup hosted by Russia. In the first 3 matches in Group E, Romania has a 5-0 win in Yerevan, against Armenia, and 2 draws, 1-1 at home against Montenegro and 0-0, away from home against Kazakhstan. With 7 points each, Montenegro and Poland top the group standings, with Romania ranking 3rd with 5 points. During this qualifying campaign, the national team is for the first time in history managed by a foreign coach, the German Cristoph Daum.