21-03-2014

Romanian Public TV Requests Annulment of Debts

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    BUCHAREST: The Romanian public broadcaster TVR reported a profit of 554,200 EUR/2.5 m RON in 2013, but it is unable to pay debts of 120.5 m EUR/543.7 m RON to the state.

    Its historical debts are 180 m EUR/ 800 m RON.

    Most of the debts are to the European Broadcasting Union. A meeting between Prime Minister Victor Ponta and the acting general director of TVR, Stelian Tănase, is expected in order to clarify the difficult situation of the institution.

    Tănase, who was appointed acting general director in January 2014, has requested that the debts to the state should be annulled, but no decision has been made, as it has to be approved by the European Commission. “This can be done just once,” Tănase said.

    TVR had revenues of 120.6 m EUR/544 m RON in 2013 and it spent approximately119.9 m EUR/541 m RON. The institution finished 2012 with a deficit of 33.5 m EUR/146.9 RON, 9.15% less than in 2011, and with decreasing total debts of 141.4 m EUR/620 m RON.