Moldova suspends 6 TV channels over alleged misinformation

The broadcast licenses of six television channels in Moldova have been suspended over accusations of misinformation, inaccurate coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine, and “attempts to manipulate public opinion,” authorities said.
The decision to revoke the licenses of the channels First in Moldova, RTR Moldova, Accent TV, NTV Moldova, TV6 and Orhei TV was announced late Friday by Moldova’s Commission for Exceptional Situations, which was established after Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
The commission said the suspensions were made after a review by Moldova’s Audiovisual Council found a “lack of correct information in the coverage of national events, but also of the war in Ukraine.” It also said the suspensions aim to “prevent the risk of disinformation … or attempts to manipulate public opinion.”
Four of the six suspended channels – First in Moldova, RTR Moldova, NTV Moldova, and TV6 – regularly re-transmit programs from Russian TV channels that on Friday were banned by the European Council as part of a fresh wave of sanctions against Russia.