Romanian news channel Realitatea TV will have to suspend its broadcast for 10 minutes on Thursday, January 17, starting 19:00, the audiovisual watchdog CNA decided on Tuesday.

The news station was thus sanctioned for the way it reflected the August 10, 2018 events in Bucharest’s Victoriei Square, during which the riot police clashed with the protesters and several hundred people were reportedly hurt following the gendarmes’ intervention. The CNA board members decided with a majority of votes that Realitatea TV incited the public to violence, local Paginademedia.ro reported.

The news station reacted and said that this sanction was a form of repression by the ruling party PSD and its leader Liviu Dragnea against the honest media in Romania. Realitatea TV has positioned itself firmly against the current ruling coalition.

Romania TV, a news channel favorable to the ruling party, was also sanctioned with a RON 15,000 (EUR 3,200) fine for the way it reflected the incidents on August 10.

editor@romania-insider.com

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