Romanian state owned TVR to close down two channels, layoff staff in attempt to save money

Romania's state-owned television TVR, which is currently in financial trouble, with a current loss of some EUR 145 million, decided to shut down two of its channels, TVR Info and TVR Cultural, to save money.

The decision, announced by Claudiu Saftoiu, the general manager of TVR, follows a series of statements about TVR Info, the news channel and website of TVR. Former TVR director Radu Călin Cristea said TVR Info's website was an 'enclave', with serious communication deficiencies. The statement came after the site published an exclusive article with documents on Prime Minister Victor Ponta's alleged plagiarism. The editor in chief of the department running the site, Mona Dartu, later resigned on press freedom issues.

Both TVR Info and TVR Cultural will stop broadcasting, and their mission will be included in the programs from TVR 1 and TVR 2. From August 15, TVR Info will end collaboration with its journalists, said Saftoiu in an interview for Mediafax. TVR 2 will be renamed TVR 2 Cultural, while the News division of TVR 1 will go under a 'professional leadership', rather than under the authority of the TVR president, guaranteeing professional independence. “It is a helping hand I am giving the journalists in TVR, with responsibility, generosity and good faith, especially to those who work on the news of the day,” said Saftoiu, a former journalist himself. He added this will be a depoliticizing of the editorial content. A general producer will head the News Department and respond only to the TVR directorial committee. TVR currently has 3,400 employees, some of which will be laid off, after negotiations with union representatives. Other harsh measures will be applied in the coming future, he said, to stop the 'robbery' that has been going on in TVR for years. Saftoiu is a former journalist, former head of Romania's Foreign Information Service, and former presidential counselor for Traian Basescu. editor@romania-insider.com (photo source: Wikipedia)