Teleradio-Moldova (TRM) is the state-owned national radio and television broadcaster in Moldova. TRM runs the television channels Moldova 1 and Moldova 2, and the radio channels Radio Moldova, Radio Moldova Tineret and Radio Moldova Muzical.
Media assets
Television: Moldova 1, Moldova 2
Radio: Radio Moldova, Radio Moldova Tineret, Radio Moldova Muzical
State Media Matrix Typology: Independent State-Funded and State-Managed (ISFM)
Ownership and governance
TRM was founded by the Parliament of Moldova. Its activity is governed by the Audiovisual Services Code, the country’s main law regulating the broadcasting sector.
TRM is led by a management committee headed by the General Director. The supreme governing structure at TRM is the Supervisory Council whose members are appointed by Parliament. For a short period, between 2019 and 2021, the governance bodies were not under the control of Parliament. The General Director is named by the Supervisory Council following a public competition whose rules are designed by the Council.
Source of funding and budget
TRM had a budget of MDL 139.4m (US$ 8m) in 2019. More than 88% of that was represented by funding from the government, the rest being generated by the broadcaster from its own commercial activities. In 2020, TRM received a state subsidy of MDL 126.3m (US$ 7m), which accounted for more than 92% of the company’s total budget. Two years later, TRM had a total budget of MDL 144.7m (US$ 7.9m), some 93% of it coming from the state budget, according to data made public by the broadcaster.
Editorial independence
There are no legal requirements that restrict the editorial independence of TRM. The station used to be a government mouthpiece, but during the past decade, its editorial independence has significantly improved. Although there are still pressures on its editorial from the government, which often feels empowered to do so as it is the main funder of the station, in the past two years there was not any specific evidence that would show that the government controls the station’s editorial coverage.
The Audiovisual Services Code is the main document that establishes the independence of TRM, stating that the station must operate with full editorial independence. TRM’s editorial independence is guaranteed in Article 34 of the Audiovisual Code of Moldova.
TRM has an Ombudsman office whose main mission is to monitor the editorial performance of the station and make suggestions and recommendations to improve it. The Ombudsman also plays the role of intermediary between the public and the broadcaster, taking complaints and criticism from the viewers to the station’s top management. The Ombudsman publishes every year a report that documents all these cases.
September 2023