Romanian Television (TVR) is the public service television broadcaster in Romania. It operates three nationwide channels, an international channel (TVR International), and a channel that serves the public in the neighboring Republic of Moldova (TVR Moldova), where most people speak Romanian.
Media assets
Television: National- TVR1, TVR2, TVR3, TVR Cultural, TVR Info; International- TVR International, TVR Moldova; Local- TVR Cluj, TVR Craiova, TVR Iasi, TVR Targu Mures, TVR Timisoara
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
In accordance with Law 41 of 1994, TVR’s main governing body is the Board of Directors, which is composed of 13 members appointed by Parliament. The board chair is also appointed by Parliament for a four-year term. The members are nominated as follows: eight by Parliament, two by the TVR staff, and one each by the presidency, the government, and the political parties representing ethnic minorities.
The Commission for Culture and Media is planning significant amendments to the legislation governing the operations of Romanian public television and radio. One potential change is the separation of the position of Director General (the company’s CEO) from that of President. This change is expected to reduce the concentration of management power at the station, making TVR less vulnerable to pressures, especially political ones.
Source of funding and budget
TVR used to be funded through license fees, a tax worth less than €2 per month per household, and €7 per month for companies. In 2016, the government approved canceling 102 non-fiscal taxes, including the “radio and television tax” (as the license fee was known in Romania). This source of funding was replaced with funding from the state budget. The broadcaster is legally allowed to air advertisements, but there are limitations on the amount of advertising permitted on TVR.
In 2022, TVR’s total budget was RON 501.8m (€102m), with over 85% coming from a state subsidy, as stated in a company report. The previous year, TVR’s budget was RON 416.4m (€84.3m), with roughly RON 368m allocated from the state budget. In 2023, the government allocated a budget of RON 415m (€83.5m), according to media reports. In 2024, TVR received RON 436m (€87.7m) from the government.
Editorial independence
Although every Romanian government has attempted to control TVR, various mechanisms aimed at insulating the station from political and other pressures have been introduced over the past decade. These measures have secured, if not TVR’s complete independence, its semi-autonomy.
Over the past five years, the station’s leadership, indebted to the Social Democratic Party (PSD) which holds a majority in parliament, has established a strict culture of censorship in which any criticism of the PSD’s interests and members is not allowed.
The station has been involved in a series of scandals for nearly two years, revolving around TVR’s former president and executive director, Doina Gradea, who was accused of unprofessional conduct, swearing at journalists, and editorial censorship. Despite journalists pushing back, suing the management, and calling for Gradea’s resignation, the broadcaster operated in a highly politicized and restrictive environment. In May 2021, Gradea was fired from the executive director position by Parliament, but she remained employed by TVR in a project manager role within the HR department. Incidents of censorship continued to be reported at TVR in the past year.
According to 1994 Law 41 and the station’s operational rulebook, TVR is considered an autonomous, editorially independent public service broadcaster. Editorial independence is defined as “the right of TVR to decide on its programming policy in accordance with its legal mandate.” TVR’s autonomy and editorial independence are protected by the law, and its programs are safeguarded from interference by political parties, trade unions, commercial entities, and lobby groups. Censorship is prohibited at TVR.
However, in practice, these rules are completely disregarded as TVR’s management imposes a series of strict editorial restrictions on its journalists.
There is no independent oversight mechanism to validate TVR’s editorial independence.
August 2024