Parliamentarians want public television to further their interests

Gândul newspaper comments on a bill in the Romanian parliament to have its debates broadcast in future by the country's public television: "The members of parliament see public television ... as an institution which has done 'good work' for them. ... All governing parties have lobbyists at TVR. But parliament has been unsurpassed at trying to turn public television into its personal servant. The irony is that it is parliament which should represent the interests of democracy. ... TVR can be obliged to carry out its work in the service of the elected representatives. A censorship commission can be established and taxes can be levied on private television and newspapers, but all of this will never alter the image of those in power. Despite their propaganda, the 'comrades' of yore were never popular, because the lies they disseminated started with themselves."

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