Hot topics click link for more
French TV news broadcaster BFM TV briefly shunted its coverage of the Gilets Jaunes - the protestors, turned rioters who have run rampant across the country for the last two months. A symbolic “protest” was called by reporters last Monday (January 7) in response to increasingly violent clashes between the Gilets Jaunes and media workers. Station general director Hervé Béroud said he “understood the need of reporters and editors to mobilize in protest, quoted by ozap.com (January 9).
Protests are very much part of the fabric of French society. Bastille Day, celebrating the revolution of 1789, is the French national holiday. All French news media devoted considerable coverage of the Gilets Jaunes (yellow jackets) since the first protests broke out in November. BFM TV’s coverage has been nearly continuous. French media research institute Médiamétrie recorded record audiences for TV news channels, including a boost for BFM TV, in December. (See more about TV news here)
Apparently, there was considerable fatigue among the reporters and editors at the nearly non-stop coverage of rock throwing, glass breaking and cars burning. BFM TV bills itself as the breaking news station. “When you’re not following the news, people go elsewhere,” said BFM TV owner Altice chief executive Alain Weill. “People want to see.” (See more about media in France here)
French media regulator Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel (CSA) met this week to “review media coverage of the demonstrations,” reported AFP (January 8). The CSA recommended that broadcasters “not disseminate information that could endanger security and civil peace” and warned against “any complacent, unbalanced or insufficiently verified broadcast of images and comments that would exacerbate antagonism and opposition.”
Moldovan media watchers are railing about the prices television channels are planning to charge for campaign ads. Prime TV announced a rate of €4,000 per minute and Television Central €1,500, reported media-azi.md (December 28). Most other channels have set rates somewhere in between. Public TV channel Moldova 1 set its rates for election ads at €900 per minute.
Broadcasters submitted political ad rates to the Audiovisual Coordinating Council and the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) at years end. Moldovan media watchers suggest the proposed rates were “exaggerated” to “impede access” for certain candidates. Privately owned TV channels in Moldova are generally controlled by supporters of political parties. (See more about elections and media here)
“As in the previous electoral campaigns, televisions channels linked to politicians have set very high prices for one purpose only – not allowing access to their opponents,” said Independent Press Association (API) executive director Petru Macovei. “It is probably about those seeking office now who do not have 4,000 euros to pay for a minute of advertising.” He called for current law to be followed, which prevents election campaign ad rates from exceeding normal commercial ad rates. “We live in a primitive system because those who need to make the rules are controlled by politicians, who also control the media market,” he added.
Some pine for those earlier times. "From the moment we divided Moldova into constituencies, we created a big problem that has had quite serious consequences on the good functioning of the state,” said anti-corruption party Miscarii Populare Antimafie leader Sergiu Mocanu, quoted by adevarul.md (January 10). He was referring to 1991 when Moldova declared independence from the Soviet Union.
Parliamentary elections in Moldova will be held February 24th. Campaigning began officially last November. So far, said the CEC, political parties have spent most on billboards, reported by agora.md (January 4).
Swedish media/tech company Modern Times Group (MTG) has officially moved on in its quest to exit Bulgarian television company Nova TV, said a company statement (January 7). The company is in “discussions with other interested parties.” That may include previously rejected “Greek and Hungarian bidders,” suggested Capital.bg (January 7).
Last year MTG reached an agreement with PPF Group, an investment firm controlled by Petr Kellner, to acquire Nova TV, Bulgaria’s most prominent privately-owned television broadcaster, for €185 million. But, Bulgaria’s competition commission did not like the deal. Last year PPF Group acquired the Bulgarian, Serbian, Hungarian and Montenegrin assets of telecom Telenor for €2.8 billion. The purchase and sale agreement between PPF Group and MTG, which had been extended, recently expired. PPG Group also released a statement (January 7) that it was pulling out of the agreement. (See more about media in Bulgaria here)
MTG is in the process of splitting off (read: inevitable exit) its broadcast holdings from entertainment assets (read: online gaming and marketing). The former will be MTG, the later NENT, Nordic Entertainment Group. MTG exited Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian radio and television assets in 2017. Earlier the company exited Russian and Ukrainian television assets. (See more about Modern Times Group here)
Nova TV operates seven channels in Bulgaria as well as online portal NetInfo and radio station Nova News. MTG entered the market in 2007 with Diema TV, acquiring Nova TV in 2008 for €620 million.
|
