Stelian Tanase, President and General Manager of SRTV declared on Wednesday that he did not intend to resign despite of pressure that is put upon him, mentioning that his purpose is to keep editorial control during the electoral campaign. He also mentioned that he thought he would be “dumped” after the presidential elections, Mediafax reports.
Stelian Tanase was requested to attend a hearing on Wednesday, at the Culture Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, under the circumstances that his recent statements “raised certain questions as to what happens at the institution he was presiding”, Gigel Stirbu, President of the Committee declared at the beginning of the hearing. Questioned by PSD Deputy Mihai Sturzu whether he would submit a honorary resignation, Stelian Tanase declared that he wanted to resign many times.
“But I notified my colleagues that I will not quit, despite of undergoing pressures. (…) I think I will be dumped after the elections. This is what I think. But, until the elections are due, I will focus on preserving the balance of the Romanian Television under any circumstances? Which is the target now? Editorial control. I will not give in to pressure, you may do it as much as you see fit. The electoral campaign at TVR will take place according to democratic rules. After the campaign is over, we draw the line and we go home. There are two more months; you have to have some patience”, Stelian Tanase informed MPs.
Ironically, Mihai Sturzu remarked that, possibly, the mentioned political pressure determined Stelian Tanase to attack the Government and Victor Ponta, while having Klaus Iohannis as a guest two times a week. Stelian Tanase replied by pointing out that Iohannis was invited to TVR only once, on September 1.
Moreover, Stelian Tanase said that, during the electoral campaign, he would maintain The Romanian Television as “equidistant and as far of any political conflict as possible. “Don’t expect TVR to make any services to any candidate”, Tanase said.
“The Romanian Television will be very attentive not to create any advantage to any party, any candidate and any political idea. But you must not understand that Stelian Tanase has full control upon programs and channels; there are plenty of important people in TVR who have direct contact with your bosses”, Stelian Tanase concluded.
“Political pressures exerted on me”
Stelian Tanase also stated on Wednesday that political pressures were exerted on him, pointing out that the government’s former representative within TVR’s Administrative Board asked him to remove Sorin Avram and Cornel Nistorescu from the Romanian Television’s list of programs, Mediafax informs.
In this context, Stelian Tanase stated that political pressures were exerted on him, however they stopped once he publicly revealed their existence. “Up until I gave the interview (an interview for gandul.info – editor’s note) political pressures were put on me. Not anymore since then,” Stelian Tanase stated when answering PPDD MP Liliana Minca.
Likewise, Stelian Tanase received telephone calls asking him to remove certain journalists from the list of programs. “I was asked directly, with full names given, to remove Sorin Avram and Cornel Nistorescu. I refused, it seemed to me things had gone too far. (…) The moment Mr. Cornel Calota asked me to take these measures I decided to come out publicly and say it,” Stelian Tanase said.
Stelian Tanase added that the Romanian Television is “at the beck and call of politicians.” “Politicians were involved in a lot of nefarious actions in this merry-go-round of directors that come and go (…) in the changing of the lists of programs. TVR has no programs strategy as stipulated by law. Nor could it have one since it is at the beck and call of some politicians that are very imaginative,” Tanase added.
