Interim manager of Romanian state Television TVR suffers heart attack amidst rumors of his replacement

Stelian Tănase, the interim general manager of Romanian state – owned TV company TVR suffered a heart attack last weekend and was taken to intensive care at the Fundeni hospital in Bucharest. The heart attack occurred after the 62 – year old was supposed to get the Parliament vote to become permanent president and general manager of TVR. The vote was however suspended last week as the meeting did not meet the cvorum requirements. Tănase was named interim at the helm of TVR in December 2013, after the previous TVR board and its president Claudiu Saftoiu were dismissed via a Parliament vote, which also rejected TVR's 2012 activity report. Sources quoted by Romanian media say Tănase had surgery after the heart attack and has a stent installed, a tube placed in the arteries to keep them open while treating heart diseases. The same sources mention a new potential candidate for the helm of TVR, supported by the ruling party the Social Democratic Party PSD. This is believed to be among the factors which led to Tanase's heart attack the nigh before Easter. TVR managed to post a profit in 2013, of some EUR 700,000. It was its first profit in the last seven years. Its debt however was still high: EUR 174.8 million at the end of 2013, according to TVR’s activity report as publicized in the Romanian Parliament. The profit was the result of cutting expenses by some EUR 43.5 million on 2012. Massive layoffs and board dismissal happened at TVR in 2013, after the Parliament rejected the media company’s activity report on 2012. TVR sacked 619 employees in 2013. The media company posted revenues of some EUR 120.7 million, most of which were generates by the TV tax, advertising, and state budget subsidies. The TVR received some EUR 40.6 million in subsidiaries, the majority of which – some 90 percent – go directly to the Societatea Naţională de Radiocomunicaţii (SNR) on account of the terrestrial re-transmission services. Total expenses stood up at some EUR 120 million, most of which were exploitation expenses, and EUR 2.6 million of which were financial expenses. editor@romania-insider.com