Irina Radu, president of the public television TVR, announced yesterday that the institution had paid its historical debts to the state budget.

This was possible after the financing model of TVR changed, according to Irina Radu.

The public television was financed from the TV-radio tax paid by taxpayers in Romania. However, the current Government removed this tax, as part of a larger move to cut several taxes, and decided to finance TVR directly from the state budget.

According to a TVR press release, the paid public debt amounted to RON 522 million (EUR 115.2 million). This means that the state has paid the debts of the public television to the state. The tax agency ANAF will now remove the distraint on TVR’s assets, which was established last year.

The decision to remove the TV-radio tax was deemed controversial by many, as it is believed that the new financing model makes the public television more dependent on central authorities, and thus the political influence on the public television could increase.

editor@romania-insider.com