tv8.md

Logo of tv8.md

TV8.md is the official website of TV8, one of Moldova's most popular sources of online news and information. The site features both TV8’s broadcast content and exclusive online materials not available on TV8’s live programming.

As a comprehensive news portal, TV8.md covers a wide range of topics, including social, political, economic, and justice-related news from Moldova and around the world, as well as entertainment content. Committed to presenting a diversity of opinions and political perspectives within Moldova, the platform maintains an independent editorial stance.

The website provides access to TV8’s archived programs and news bulletins, along with a dedicated section for investigative journalism. It also includes the “I Want in Europe” section, featuring video reports about the European Union as broadcast on TV8.

Visitors can find information about TV8's management and editorial teams, as well as access a live stream of TV8 broadcasts. Launched in May 2017, TV8.md is owned by the non-profit Public Association "Alternative Media," founded by Igor Boțan (President), Mariana Rață-Vremea, Viorica Tataru Craițămîndră, and Svetlana Buza. The association operates as a non-profit organization.


Key Facts

Audience ShareMissing Data
Ownership TypePrivate
Geographic CoverageTransnational
Content TypeFree
Active Transparency
company/channel informs proactively and comprehensively about its ownership, data is constantly updated and easily verifiable
Media Companies / GroupsAO "Media Alternativă"

Ownership

Ownership Structure

TV8 is owned by the non-profit Media Alternativă Public Association. The founders of the association are: 

- Igor Boțan - President of the Public Association “Media Alternativă”
- Mariana Rață-Vremea
- Viorica Tătaru Craițămîndră
- Svetlana Buza

The channel publishes the relevant information about the association's members and the Board of Directors. 

The AO Media Alternativa Association is governed by the General Assembly, composed of association members. The main responsibilities of the Assembly are to: 

- Appoint members of the Board of Directors; 
- Approve the activity plan and report of the Board; 
- Elect the President of the Association; 
- Make major decisions related to the association's activities (reorganization, joining local or international unions or structures, dissolution).

The activities of AO Media Alternativa are managed by the association's Board of Directors, consisting of 6 members. The Board, by voting, adopts: 

- the budget and activity plan for the association, TV8, and the website;
- the activity report of the management of TV8 and tv8.md;
- appoints the television director through a selection process; 
- appoints the general producer and Senior Editor on the recommendation of the director; 
- adopts the development strategy, policies, and other internal documents of the association.

The current activities of TV8 and tv8.md are managed by the institution's internal management — the executive director and financial director handle operational and financial activities, while the Senior Editor oversees editorial policy matters.

The institution's internal executive council consists of:

- the executive director;
- the financial director; 
- the Senior Editor;
- the general producer.

Media Companies / Groups

Facts

Founding Year2017
FounderPublic Association ”Media Alternativă”

The Public Association "Media Alternativă" was registered on March 13, 2017. The initial leader was journalist Natalia Morari, who hosted several political programs on TV7. The organization's co-founders included journalists Mariana Rață and Ion Terguță, political analyst Igor Botan, and TV7 director Cristina Gutu.

In June 2017, TV7 was rebranded to TV8. In December 2017, the Broadcasting Coordinating Council (now Audiovisual Council) approved the transfer of the broadcasting license to the Public Association "Media Alternativă".

The current founding members of the "Media Alternativă" Public Association are Igor Botan (President), Mariana Rață-Vremea, Viorica Tătaru Craițămîndră, and Svetlana Buza.

CEOSvetlana Buza

Svetlana Buza is one of the founding members and since March 2020, the Executive Director of the Public Association "Media Alternativă".

Previously, she was the administrator of Reforma Art SRL, which held the broadcasting licence for Moldovan TV channel, Jurnal TV. She was also a PR Manager at Jurnal Trust Media, which includes Jurnal TV.

Between 2017-2019, she was the general manager of two shopping centres in Chisinau: "Unic" and "Gemenii".

In August 2023, Svetlana Buza was elected Chairperson of the Competition Committee responsible for selecting the institution that will measure audience and market shares for the period 2024-2029. The committee includes representatives from several television stations and is managed by the Audiovisual Council.

Svetlana Buza and Mariana Rață, a senior editor at TV8, are the founders of the company Independent Trust Media SRL. On July 26, 2024, the company received a broadcasting licence for a new TV station — 1TV — which is expected to produce programs in Russian.

Editor-In-ChiefMaria-Emilia Hîncu

Maria-Emilia Hincu is a journalist who joined TV8 in February 2022 during her first year of university studies at the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences, State University of Moldova. Since November 2023, she has been the editor-in-chief of tv8.md.

Other Important PeopleMariana Rață-Vremea

Mariana Rață-Vremea is one of the founding members of the non-profit organisation Media Alternativa, which holds the broadcasting licence for the TV station TV8.

Mariana Rață graduated from the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences at Moldova State University, with a specialisation in Communication. She is an investigative journalist, TV presenter, and Senior Editor responsible for editorial policy at TV8. She hosts the political talk show "Cutia Neagră" (”The Black Box”) and the investigative program "Cutia Neagră PLUS," both aired on TV8.

She has over 23 years of journalistic experience. She began her career in journalism at the newspaper Jurnal de Chișinău in 2005, where she worked for 8 years. She also hosted a political program on Jurnal TV from 2009 to 2010.

Between 2010 and 2013, she worked as an editor and reporter for several news portals: jurnal.md, union.md, deschide.md, moldovacurata.md. From 2013 to 2016, she was the Deputy Chief Editor at the publication "Ziarul Național." She later worked at the Center for Investigative Journalism, as a journalist and coordinating editor.

In 2017, she cof-ounded the channel TV8.

Additionally, since 2017, she has been the Chairperson of the Board of the Independent Journalism Center in Moldova.

She has won several journalism awards: "Ten Journalists of the Year" (2013), a competition organised by the Independent Journalism Center; "Best Investigative Journalism on Corruption," first place in 2016, second place in 2017, a competition organised by UNDP; shortlisted for the European Press Prize (2017) with the investigation "The Steroid Mafia."

Mariana Rață is an anti-corruption and justice expert, author of several studies on selective justice, in collaboration with Freedom House.

Together with Svetlana Buza (Executive Director of Media Alternativa) and Vasile Gherman (Financial Director of TV8), Mariana Rață is a partner in the company "Independent Trust Media" SRL.

On July 26, 2024, the company received a licence from the Audiovisual Council for a new TV station, 1TV, which is expected to be oriented toward the Russian-speaking audience.

Contactstr. Calea Orheiului, 28/1
MD-2059 mun. Chișinău
Moldova, Republic of
marianaratavremea@gmail.com, niculita.sergiu2@gmail.com
0794-34-001, 0798-48-598
www.tv8.md
RevenueMDL 3,9 million / USD 230 000 (2023)
Operating ProfitMissing Data
Advertising (in % of total funding)MDL 816 000 / USD 48 000 (21% of total revenue) (2023)
Market ShareMissing Data
Headlines
Meta Data

Data regarding advertising and market share are unavailable. The tv8.md website publishes information about the public association managing both the TV8 website and television station, including details about the editorial team, association members, and Board of Directors members. TV8's editorial policy is also published, along with financial reports from recent years. 

Media-specific revenue data for the tv8.md website and for TV8 channel are not made public. This information was provided by the Alternative Media Association in response to the MOM information request.

Sources