AC – Audiovisual Council

The Audiovisual Council (AC) was established in 1996 by the Audiovisual Law nr. 603 of 30.10.1995 and in accordance with the Parliament Decision no. 988 of 15.10.1996 .
The AC is an autonomous public authority regulating the public and private audiovisual media in Moldova and supervising the correct implementation of the Audiovisual Code.
The work of the AC is guided by the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova, the Audiovisual Law, the Law on Access to Information, the Law on Advertising, the European Convention on Transfrontier Television, and other laws and regulations of the Republic of Moldova.
The AC is the authority in charge to issue broadcasting licenses and retransmission authorizations. The activity of the AC is overseen by the Parliament, which analyzes and assesses the Annual Report of the AC.
The protection of program services consumers is the primary mission of the AC, which, by definition, is “the representative and the guarantor of the public interest”, and according to Article 10 (2), “the protection of program services consumers rights is ensured by the AC”, which fulfills its obligations and tasks stipulated in the Audiovisual Code.
In order to accomplish its task, the AC, in accordance with national and international standards, exercises its activities in the following areas: Child protection; Assurance of political and social pluralism; Morality protection; Advertising placement conditions; Program service monitoring and examination of the inside and outside complaints.

a) to exercise supervision over the performance of the liabilities specified in the broadcasting licence in accordance with the established legal procedure and with the observance of the legal provisions;
b) to supervise the content accuracy of programs provided for by broadcasters only post-broadcast;
c) to approve the concept of covering the electoral campaign for the parliamentary and local elections according to the provisions of the Election Code of the Republic of Moldova;
d) to monitor, in accordance with par. 1 b), the content of programs provided for by broadcasters and program service packages guaranteed by service providers, on a periodical basis and whenever the Council deems it necessary and whenever a complaint is filed in regard to a broadcaster’s failure to observe the legal provisions, the regulation standards in the field or the liabilities specified in the broadcasting licence;
e) to counsel on the technical specifications of a public service broadcaster;
f) to approve broadcasters’ Code/Line of conduct policy in view of developing and broadcasting the program services according to the present Code and European standards;
g) to notify the Supervisory Council of the public broadcasting service “Teleradio-Moldova” of any deviation of the program services from the provisions specified in the broadcasting licence;
h) to approve internal audit rules of the public service broadcaster;
i) to decide upon setting up, restructuring or suspending the activities of the structural units of the national public broadcaster upon the proposal of the Supervisory Council;
j) to establish the terms, criteria and procedure of granting a broadcasting licence;
k) to establish the procedure of granting the retransmission authorization;
l) to issue broadcasting licences and retransmission authorizations for program services;
m) to take decisions with effect of regulatory documents in view of exerting its attributions provided for in this Code. The Council’s decisions may be contested in a court by any person who deems to be harmed thereby.
n) Receiving and examining complaints from public authorities or from a physical or legal entity directly affected by a breach in audiovisual media. Applying if breaches to the law the following sanctioning measures: public warning, temporary withdrawal of the right to broadcast advertisements, fine, temporary suspension of the licence, and withdrawal of the broadcasting licence.

The seven members of the Coordinating Council of the Audiovisual are appointed by the Parliament for six years..
The Council is managed by a President who is elected from among the Members of the Council by an open ballot, and a simple majority of the total number of votes of the Members. The President of the Coordinating Council of Audiovisual is responsible for the activity of the Council and the fulfillment of the assigned duties thereof.

The Council collaborates with national and international institutions; actively participates in conferences, seminars, round tables and trainings organized by international bodies (OSCE, CoE, Delegation of European Union) and national authorities for a regular exchange of experience and information on regulations and European standards; signs new agreements for cooperation in the audiovisual field with similar foreign regulatory authorities. The Coordinating Council of the Audiovisual is member of the following regulatory networks in the audiovisual field: REFRAM, EPRA, IBRAF, MNRA.