Romanian Television

Infobox Network
network_name = Societatea Românǎ de Televiziune
network_
country = ROU
network_type = Broadcast television network
available = International
owner = Romanian State (The Government of Romania)
key_people = Alexandru Sassu, President and General Chairman
launch_date = December 31, 1956
past_names = Radioteleviziunea Românǎ
(1956-1990; when it was the only radio-tv company in the country)
motto = "Imaginea timpului tău"
("The Image of your times")
website = [http://www.tvr.ro www.tvr.ro] |

Televiziunea Română (pronunciation: "télévizju:nèa ro:mīnə"), more commonly referred to as TVR (pronunciation: "té'vé'ré") is the short name (for Societatea Românǎ de Televiziune; acronym: SRTV). SRTV is the national state-owned public service television broadcaster of Romania. It operates five channels: TVR1, TVR2, TVR Cultural, TVR HD and TVRi, along with six regional studios in Bucureşti, Cluj-Napoca, Iaşi, Timişoara, Craiova and Târgu-Mureş. The regional studios of TVR ("studiouri teritoriale") do not broadcast independently. They broadcast usually at the same time on TVR2, and sometimes on TVR1.

TVR1 has total national coverage (99.8%) and TVR2 has 91% coverage — all of the other channels and networks cover only urban areas. Even though it does not have the largest audience (Pro TV and Antena 1, two private networks, consistently get higher ratings in the urban market segment), it offers a wider variety of services, including webcasts and international viewing.

History

TVR was established in 1956, in Bucharest, and first broadcasted on December 31 on the same year from a little building (a deserted cinema studio) on Molière Street.

TVR moved in 1969 to a new building, the specially-built television center on Dorobanţilor Avenue.

A second channel, TVR2, was created in 1968 (at that time it was simply called "Programul 2" - The 2nd Channel, and the old TVR became the First Channel, "Programul 1"). TVR2 was suspended from 1985 (due to the "energy saving programme" initiated by Nicolae Ceauşescu) until after the fall of the Communist regime.

In 1983 TVR introduced the color television. Although the rest of the Eastern Bloc countries adopted the Soviet-backed SECAM system, TVR chose to implement the PAL system.

On January 1, 1993, TVR was, as a part of Radioteleviziunea Româna (RTVR), admitted as a full active member of the European Broadcasting Union.

In 1995 TVRi was launched (on December 1, the national holiday).

In 2002, TVR Cultural was launched.

On June 1, 2008, TVR HD was launched broadcasting in HD. Euro 2008 and the 2008 Summer Olympics will be transmitted in HD

Due to the same "energy saving programme", beetween 1985 and 1989, the TVR schedule was severely limited - to only about two hours per day (between 20:00 and 22:00), most of which were dedicated to the cult of personalities of Nicolae and his wife Elena; with an exception on Saturdays (from 13:00 to 15:00 and 19:00 to 22:30) and Sundays (the same program like Saturdays, but with children's programs at noon between 11:30 and 12:30). The two hours of programming was half propaganda and half general entertainment:

----
*19:53 The Communist National Anthem ("Trei culori")
*19:57 The "Frontul Democraţiei şi Unităţii Socialiste" ("Democracy and Socialist Unity Front", FDUS) Anthem ("E scris pe tricolor Unire")
*19:59:30 Opening (clock)
*20:00 News ("Telejurnal")
*20:20 Special programs dedicated to Ceauşescu (documentary or musical shows)
*21:00 An episode of a Theatre Opera or Socialist Movie.
*21:50 News ("Telejurnal")
*21:58 Closing ("Hora Unirii")

Later, the programs increased to 3 hours per day during week (19.00 - 22.00)

----During the December 1989 revolution TVR was an important focal point of the events. Rebels occupied the TVR building in the afternoon of December 22 and announced that the Ceauşescus had fled. TVR changed its name to "Televiziunea Română Liberă" (TVRL), "Free Romanian Television".

But TVR would remain a propaganda instrument in the hands of the newly-created National Salvation Front (FSN), made up mostly of former second-rank Communists. FSN used TVRL, by far the most widely-penetrating information source at that time in Romania, to discredit protesters who were demanding a Communist-free government, denigrating them as "fascists". This culminated with the June 1990 riots in central Bucharest, crushed by the miners called in by president Ion Iliescu. After the riots ended, Iliescu was shown on TV congratulating the miners for "restoring law and order". A little while later, following protests from civil society, TVRL abandoned the "L", the designation "Free" (which had become a laughing stock) and reverted to its previous name of TVR.

After 1990, lacking any strategy, TVR fell into a deep crisis of identity. TVR changed its identity several times without any particular reason. The crisis intensified after 1996.
In 2002, TVR Cultural was launched as simply "Cultural" (no "TVR" in name or presentation).
In 1998, TVR International was renamed "TV Romania International", with a completely different identity.
In 2001, TVR2 changed its identity (logo and presentation) for the fourth time.
The same year (after three "rebrandings") TVR1 became "TV Romania 1", with a new identity. The new "Romania 1" changed its identity (including the channel logo) three times in only two years.

In 2003, the management realised the gravity of the situation and started a controversial rebranding (a new identity was created by the British agency English & Pockett).
From June 11, 2004 TVR had a new identity. All channels were renamed "TVR" and had the same identity.

tructure

TVR has five national TV channels: TVR1, TVR2, TVR Cultural, TVR HD and TVRi. TVRi is designed for the Romanians living outside Romania, the "i" coming from "Internaţional" ("International" in the Romanian language).

It also has six regional TV channels or "studios" ("studiouri teritoriale"): TVR Bucureşti, TVR Cluj, TVR Craiova, TVR Iaşi, TVR Târgu-Mureş and TVR Timişoara (listed in the alphabetical order).

Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2006

Romania hosted on 2 December 2006, the international Junior Eurovision Song Contest. The Romanian broadcaster has been chosen by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for being the organizer of the 4th edition of the contest. For the first time, Romania has been the host of such an event and a show produced by TVR broadcasted live all over Europe, in the member states of the EBU.

Funding and accusations

TVR is funded by direct government subsidies, by a television licence tax mandatory for all holders of TV sets, and also from advertising. This has been deemed unfair competition by the commercial TV stations, which must rely exclusively on revenue from advertisement. Proposals have been made to outlaw advertising on public TV channels.

TVR's board is appointed by the government and the parliament. In its post-Communist history, TVR has been almost constantly suspected of submitting to government control and censorship.

External links

* [http://www.tvr.ro TVR official website]
* [http://www.ziua.ro/display.php?id=164469 Six TVR journalists accuse censorship] ("Ziua", 8 December 2004)