Chairman of SRR, willing to resign

General president-director of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting, András István Demeter, asks to parliament the "arrangement of necessary measures" to absolve the responsibilities of the position, considering that the competent authorities of the state "does not respect the rules of Public Radio".

In a letter sent to Presidents of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, as well as to the Chairmen of culture in the two chambers, the Board Chairman of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting in the past five years indicates that the funds allocated were less than the real need, which "endangers the dissemination of this public service programs of national interest ".

"Taking into account the dispositions from Article 14. (3) of Law Public Finance no. 500/2002, with the afterwards modifications and supplementations, under which" no cost from public funds can be incurred, authorized and paid unless approved according to law and has no budgetary provisions', as the main credit for the funds allocated from state budget, we have exhausted all legal options to solve the existing financial blockage ", it is also shown in the letter sent to parliament.

Also, the general president-director of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting, András István Demeter, said that given the recently disclosed forecasts, "the situation will persist in aggravated form, also in the future".

The letter argues that the consequences of the "actual existing state" reflect in the "audiences affectation across the country and / or outside it", to limit citizens' access to programs produced by SRR and financial situation of public radio.

SRR report, approved

The Parliament passed on Tuesday by majority the public radio activity report for 2009, 2010 and 2011.

According to the report for 2011, SRR had last year revenue amounting to 405,314,961 lei (compared to 400,555,177 lei in 2010) and expenses of 400,477,389 lei (compared to 398,890,537 lei in 2010).

In 2011, Public Radio recorded a gross profit of 4,837,572 RON (4,209,533 RON - net income), up from 2010, when the gross profit was 1,664,640 lei (334 454 lei - profit net).

According to the report, revenue budget allowance (193,221,305 ROL) were used to cover fixed allowances as sources, namely the expenses with Radio Communications (the National Radio Communications Company), expenses incurred to create and broadcast programs to foreign countries (radio Romania International) and musical bands activities (bands Directorate).

Within the report is noted that the amounts awarded by the state budget were insufficient to pay the necessary services required for radio, so the benefits of December and, partially, of November 2011, worth 28.445 million lei, had to be settled in budgetary allocation of 2012.

SRR money from the state budget is 47.84 percent of the public radio, the remaining 52.16 percent representing the revenues of the institution.

According to law 41 of 1994, SRR revenues come from: radio fee, amounts collected from advertising and revenues from fines for not paying the license fee within the established term.

New presidents at public radio and TV

Once with public radio report, parliament debated and rejected also public television reports. Following the rejection of reports for 2009, 2010 and 2011, the Board Directors of TVR was dismissed. The new board from TVR elected Claudiu Săftoiu (PNL) as president, for president position which was supposed to be validated by Parliament.

After the eventual validation within parliament of István András Demeter’s request, the members of the SRR could choose a new president. The new president must be validated by parliament.

The General president-director of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting, András István Demeter, became Chairman of the Board of SRR in June 2010, as proposed by the UDMR.

Translated by Alexandra-Diana Mircea
MTTLC, Bucharest University