Jurnal TV
Jurnal TV is a private television station that launched in 2009 as an Internet news channel and was part of the Jurnal Trust Media holding company. This holding also included the newspaper Jurnal from Chisinau, the supplement Apropo Magazin, the radio station Jurnal FM, and the retail store Economist.
On March 5, 2010, Jurnal TV began broadcasting as the first news television station in the Republic of Moldova, focusing exclusively on news bulletins, informative programs, and debates.
On March 5, 2011, Jurnal TV transitioned to a generalist format, introducing entertainment programs and movies.
In January 2017, citing political pressure from authorities and conflicts with the channel’s headquarters' owner, Jurnal TV announced a shift to a new programming schedule, retaining only a few original products. The station relaunched on March 5, 2017, resuming its focus on news and original shows.
Since its establishment, the channel has changed ownership twice. One of its beneficial owners was businessman Victor Ţopa.
Ţopa owned Jurnal TV through a German company, Rheinstein Media Management Germany GMBH, which was the founder of Jurnal de Chișinău Plus SRL, the company holding the broadcasting license for the TV station.
In 2011, Victor Ţopa was sentenced to 10 years in prison for extortion. He had fled and settled in Germany before being convicted.
Ţopa is known for being the godfather of Andrei Năstase, the leader of the "Platforma Demnitate şi Adevăr" (Dignity and Truth Platform) Party (DA Platform).
The Jurnal TV’s programming includes news bulletins, political talk shows, entertainment programmes, cultural shows, films and TV series. As of June 2024, Jurnal TV's schedule features five talk shows: "The Hour of Expertise," "The Winds," "The Waves," "The Secrets of Power," and "The Shadow Cabinet," as well as several entertainment shows, with popular ones including "The Laughing Hour," "The Dora Show," "The Other Bessarabia," and "Women Speak."
Jurnal TV's funding sources include advertising revenue and grants from international organizations.
Key Facts
| Audience Share | 4,18% |
|---|---|
| Ownership Type | Private |
| Geographic Coverage | National |
| Content Type | Free |
| Active Transparency | company/channel informs proactively and comprehensively about its ownership, data is constantly updated and easily verifiable |
| Media Companies / Groups | Jurnal Trust Media |
Ownership
| Ownership Structure | Jurnal TV is owned by the company ÎCS Reforma Art SRL, which was registered in 2009. ÎCS Reforma Art SRL is currently 100% owned by VB News Media GMBH, registered in Germany. The company was originally registered in August 2017 under the name GT News Media GmbH, with Gabriela Ţopa, the daughter of businessman Victor Ţopa, as the General Director. In July 2019, the company name changed to VB News Media GmbH, and Julia Kraus, a German citizen, became the General Director. According to the Audiovisual Council the ultimate beneficiary of Jurnal TV is Valentin Butnaru. The television station’s website includes this information under the "Ownership Transparency" section. |
|---|---|
| Individual Owner |
Media Companies / Groups
Facts
| Founding Year | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Valentin Butnaru Jurnal TV was founded by Valentin Butnaru. Initially, the broadcast license was held by Butnaru’s ÎCS Jurnal de Chișinău Plus SRL. In September 2017, the license was transferred to ÎCS Reforma Art SRL, another company founded by Butnaru. |
| CEO | Adrian Buraga Adrian Buraga has been employed at Jurnal TV since October 2009. According to his LinkedIn profile, he held several positions at the TV channel over the years. He initially worked as Operational Manager, later became the Manager of the Logistics Department, and from 2017 to 2019, he was Deputy Director. In 2019, he was promoted to General Manager. Adrian Buraga co-owns the company Magnet Production SRL with journalist Valentin (Val) Butnaru, each holding a 50% share. According to the declaration submitted by Jurnal TV to the Audiovisual Council, Valentin Butnaru is the ultimate beneficiary of Jurnal TV. In January 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova announced that several Moldovan citizens, including Adrian Buraga, are prohibited from entering the territory of the Russian Federation. |
| Editor-In-Chief | Dina Crudu Dina Crudu (news director) is a journalist with over 20 years of experience. According to her profile on LinkedIn, she worked at several TV channels , including N4 (2009), Publika TV (2009 - 2014), Realitatea TV (2014 - 2017), Moldova 1 (2017 - 2019), and also at Moldpres news agency (2003 - 2008). Since October 2019, she has been the news director at Jurnal TV. |
| Contact | 170 Columna Street (Digital Park) 3rd floor Chisinau contact@jurnaltv.md (+373) 022 859 000 https://www.jurnaltv.md/ |
| Revenue | MDL 37,516,596 / USD 2,065,890 (2023) |
|---|---|
| Operating Profit | MDL 1,632,960 / USD 89,920 (2023) |
| Advertising (in % of total funding) | Missing Data |
| Market Share | 4,00% SHR |