TVR news manager resigns after Romania’s public television fails to cover nightclub tragedy on Friday night

Raluca Stroe Brumariu, the head of the Romanian public television TVR’s news department, resigned on Monday, November 2. Her resignation came after TVR had failed to cover the fire at Colectiv Club in Bucharest in a breaking news regime, on Friday night, according to sources cited by local Mediafax. Dragos Patraru, the producer of a TV show broadcasted by TVR, wrote on his blog that he was ashamed that TVR didn’t broadcast images on Friday night about the tragedy in Colectiv Club, and only published information on the news crawl. “What I feel that I have to point out is the lack of reaction of a very important public service. The public service called the Romanian Television. TVR hasn’t broadcasted anything on Friday night. It had no images, only information on the news crawl. Pathetic! A public television with no images, only text. I have been stunned to learn that there is no procedure for entering in a breaking news regime. Can you imagine that?,” Dragos Patraru wrote on his blog. SRTv journalist Mihaela Carpea also wrote on her Facebook page that TVR journalists were present at the place of tragedy on Friday night, the information being presented on TVR’s news website stiri.tvr.ro and on the Facebook page. However, none of TVR's decision makers, who could have interrupted the usual broadcasting of the public television, did so. Valentin Juncan, a member of the National Audiovisual Council, also criticized the fact that TVR failed to cover the tragedy at Colectiv Club on Friday night, in a breaking news regime. "Shame on you! You don't understand the special role you have for Romanians! (...) Wake up or go home," Juncan wrote on Facebook. TVR's lack of reaction to this tragedy is even harder to explain given that a TVR employee, 27-year old image editor Marius Rosioru, was among the 30 people that died after the fire on Friday. Raluca Stroe Brumariu has been managing TVR's news section since May. She was appointed in this position following a decision of Stelian Tanase, the former president and CEO the Romanian Television (SRTv). A total of 30 people died and some 180 were injured in the fire at Colectiv Club. The fire started on Friday evening after the soundproofing insulation caught fire from the pyrotechnic materials used during the concert. One of the oldest clubs in Bucharest closes down after Colectiv tragedy. Tragedy brings people together: Over 1,500 people donate blood in Bucharest after Colectiv Club fire. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com