BCC cancels contest for nine radio frequencies

The Broadcasting Coordination Council (BCC) Monday canceled the contest for nine radio frequencies announced available on September 2. Another contest for the given frequencies could be announced after November 11, Info-Prim Neo reports. A part of the results of the contest for radio frequencies and TV channels were made public during the BCC's meeting of October 13. At the same meeting, it was decided to postpone taking a decision as regards nine radio frequencies put up for contest on September 2 owing to fact that the applicants Brandson SRL and Umor FM SRL have presented identical broadcast schedules. The Council's decision of October 13 was based on a decision of the Court of Appeals. Representatives of Brandson SRL appealed to the court, saying they registered the brand name Umor FM at the State Agency on Intellectual Property in 2007. Thus, the members of the BCC decided to postpone making a decision until Monday, October 26. No decision could be made at Monday's meeting either as representatives of Umor FM SRL complained to the Supreme Court of Justice, which is to pass judgment on November 11. Therefore, the BCC decided to cancel the contest for the given frequencies and announce a new contest after November 11. At the same meeting, the Council did not accept the application filed by Antena C. The radio station asked to be allowed to broadcast programs of the Russian radio station Golos Rosii during four hours a day. The BCC argued that Antena C was given a frequency for a broadcast schedule that included only national programs. The discussions on the given subject were accompanied both by jokes and accusations. The members of the BCC and the representatives of Antena C accused each other of pursuing political aims. Antena C director Veaceslav Satnic considers that some of the members of the Council would have accepted the application if it was a Romanian or Ukrainian radio station. According to him, the retransmission of the station Golos Rosii would have allowed Antena C to earn money and be able to cope with the difficulties in times of crisis. Also on Monday, the BCC warned Sun Communications SRL over the non-observance of the Council's decisions whereby the TV channel distributors are obliged to include national TV channels in their program packages. Similar warnings were issued earlier for such TV channels as Noroc TV, Top 1 and Jurnal TV. The last two channels are yet to start work. Representatives of Sun Communications consider that the local and national channels that do not have yet a good rating must pay a connection tax and a monthly tax for retransmission through cable.