The National Council of Audiovisual reported itself and urgently analyzed a series of clips appearing on social networks with Cristian Rizea who recently launched his “television” Rizea TV – RTV.
Rizea’s television was launched with Laura Vicol, former PSD parliamentarian and involved in the Nordis scandal. The presented clips have graphics almost identical to those of Romania TV, as well as the logo.
Roxana Niculescu, director of programs at Romania TV, was also present at the emergency CNA meeting:
“The subject is this logo, this graphic package that appears on all platforms and that very easily misleads anyone in this country that it is content from Romania TV and that it represents Romania TV”, said Niculescu, Pagina de Media writes.
The head of RTV also said that this project of Rizea was intensively promoted in the last few days on another competing news station.
“We can ask ourselves why for 2 days, until Monday, January 19, there was a very big promotion on another television station of this television that Mr. Rizea announces as the television of Romanians everywhere. Moreover, Mrs. Laura Vicol is in a television studio. It affects us, it really affects us from an image point of view, from a moral and legal point of view after all. If we allow such an online jungle, and we we come and answer to you for all the mistakes or ‘mistakes’ we do, I don’t think it’s right.”
The CNA members, who watched the clips, voted unanimously to remove them, under several arguments: abusive language, disinformation, but also for copyright infringement. Monica Gubernat, who made the removal proposals, said that this is “identity theft”.
Conviction for bribery of 300,000 euros
Cristian Rizea, former PSD deputy, was convicted following a case orchestrated by the DNA, being accused of having requested 300,000 euros from a businessman to intervene with RAPPS and Chiajna City Hall in order to favorably resolve some requests for retrocession.
The money was allegedly concealed through four fictitious loan agreements, according to prosecutors. During the investigation, Rizea allegedly tried to influence the witnesses, promising them favors if he became mayor of Sector 5.
The sentence was reduced in 2023 by the High Court after an annulment appeal was admitted – the court finding that the statute of limitations had run out for one of the crimes.
Rizea had been extradited from the Republic of Moldova in April 2023, where he had fled before the sentencing.
The television represented by Turcescu and Mihaiu was left without a license by CNA
Also on Wednesday, the National Audiovisual Council (CNA) decided to withdraw the audiovisual license granted to Bucătăria TV station, after the television failed to start broadcasting within the legal term. The license had been obtained in January 2024, but the project was not launched even after the expiry of the maximum period stipulated by law.
The project, initiated by the journalist Alexandru Răducanu, promised a grid of programs focused on culinary informative entertainment, but also on general content, with the participation of well-known names from the press. At the time of the granting of the license, Robert Turcescu and Liviu Mihaiu, who had announced their intention to produce shows with an educational and practical component, appeared before the CNA, alongside Răducanu.
