Romanian Radio Company (SRR), known as Radio Romania, is the Romanian public service radio network. It operates nationwide channels, a network of regional stations and Radio Romania International, a channel catering to the global audience, airing in 11 languages. The broadcaster also runs its own news monitoring agency known as Rador.
Media assets
Radio: National- Radio România Actualități, Radio Antena Satelor, Radio România Cultural, Radio România Muzical, Radio Romania International, Radio3Net Florian Pittiș, Radio România Junior; Regional- București FM, Radio Cluj, Radio Constanța, Radio Vacanța, Radio Craiova, Radio Iași, Radio Reșița, Radio Târgu Mureș, Radio Timișoara; Foreign: Radio Chișinău (Moldova)
News agency: RADOR
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
The governing structures of SRR are created in the same way as those at TVR, in line with the law 41 of 1994. The main governing structure at SRR is the Board of Directors, consisting of 13 members who are appointed by Parliament. The board chair is also appointed by parliament for a four-year mandate. The members are nominated as follows: eight by parliament, two by the TVR staff and one by each the presidency, the government, the political parties representing ethnic minorities.
SRR board members have often come under critical scrutiny for corruption. They are usually appointed according to their political affiliations.
Source of funding and budget
A large proportion of the budget of Radio Romania comes from the state budget. In 2021, state budget money accounted for some 94% of the station’s total budget of RON 373 m (US$ 92m), according to a company annual report.
In 2022, the broadcaster’s budget reached RON 382m (US$ 76m). It increased by nearly 9% in 2023 to RON 415m (US$ 82.5m), as approved by Parliament in December 2022.
Editorial independence
SRR operates under a regime of harsh censorship that is imposed by the politically appointed leadership of the station. Although journalists at the station speak up against repeated attacks on their editorial independence, the situation has not changed in years.
SRR has the statute of an autonomous, editorially independent public service broadcaster, according to the law 41 of 1994. At the same time, SRR has an internal so-called “statute of the SRR journalist” that obliges the station’s journalists not to be biased in their editorial reporting. However, in practice, these provisions are not implemented as the management forces the SRR journalists to follow their orders that are usually aimed at favoring their political supporters.
There is no independent oversight mechanism to validate the independence of SRR.
October 2023