Romania's controversial gold mining project spends big on media advertising blitz

Faced with public opposition to its plans to mine gold in central Romania, the Rosia Montana Gold Corporation has splashed out some EUR 5.4 million on media advertising in the last three and a half years, new data suggests. The figure was released by media watch organisation Alfa Cont, which based its estimate on rate card prices. However the amount dished out by the company, which is majority owned by Canadian firm Gabriel Resources, might be lower than that suggested by the rate card prices as most media companies offer discounts. Last year in print, RMGC used 381 ads worth some EUR 1.5 million. Its biggest print budget in 2012 went to the newspaper Evenimentul Zilei – some EUR 190,000 in rate card prices. However the newspapers Libertatea, Jurnalul National, Romania Libera, Ziarul Financiar and Adevarul also received sizable budgets: varying between EUR 150,000 and EUR 80,000. This year, the budget

has

so far been smaller, comprising EUR 132,000 for 27 ads.

As for the airwaves, the company used over 1,300 radio spots in the last three and a half years, with the biggest activity in 2011, when it spent some EUR 420,000 on more than 700 radio spots. The biggest receivers were Radio ZU, Kiss FM, Europa FM, Radio 21 and Guerilla. Last year, RMGC spent some EUR 200,000 based on ratecard prices on radio ads. On the TV, RMGC has 3,000 commercials across the board. Romania TV leads the pack with 1,300 of these. Following is B1TV, with over 1,000 commercials, GiGa TV and Realitatea TV, with 190 and 150 commercials, among others. The initiators of gold mining project, which awaits the vote of the Parliament, are facing street protests in Bucharest and in other Romanian cities. Protests started on Sunday evening (September 1) and were re-started the next two evenings as well. editor@romania-insider.com