Romania's television market: concentrated, interested, interesting

Luni, 19 mai 2008, 12:33 English | Top News

Romania's television market is heavily concentrated and recommendations put forward three years ago are still pertinent, a conclusion of the international report Televisions in Europe on Romania shows. The report, set up by Network Media Program in London and European Union Monitoring and Advocacy Programme (NMP&EUMAP) signals the main changes in broadcasting legislation, policy and market over the past three years - since the 2005 report was published. Moreover, the document analyzes nine countries in Central and Eastern Europe.

When it comes to Romania, the report argues that even though there are hundreds of investors in the field, the market continues to be dominated by four large players and Romania's public television service fails to fulfill its mission.

Just like the 2005 report, this year's report signals out the lack of transparency in managing this sector from both the perspective of the legislators and that of the media operators. Moreover, the document points out that media operators in Romania remain trapped in commercial pressures and fail to address subjects in the cultural and educational field.

Thus, coherent and pragmatic legislation is needed, the report concludes, which will impose and lead media players on the market to assume some sort of social responsibility towards the population.