Media Ownership in Moldova
Media Ownership in Moldova
Media institutions in Moldova are predominantly privately owned, with several notable exceptions. The Public Institution Teleradio-Moldova (TRM) operates the television channels Moldova 1 and Moldova 2, the national radio station Radio Moldova, and two thematic radio stations (Radio Moldova Tineret and Radio Moldova Muzical), all funded by the Moldovan state budget. The Gagauz Autonomy maintains its own public broadcasting company – Gagauziya Radio Televizionu (GRT), overseen by the People's Assembly of Gagauzia. Additionally, two Romanian state-owned media outlets operate in Moldova: TVR Moldova television channel (launched in 2013) and Radio Chișinău (established in 2011), both funded by the Romanian state budget.
In Moldova, media institutions are legally organised either as Limited Liability Companies (LLC) or Non-Commercial Organisations (NGOs).
Television Ownership
The television landscape has become more diverse following the suspension or withdrawal of licences from several stations affiliated with internationally sanctioned oligarchs. Among the top 12 TV stations in Moldova, there are only three cases where the same family, person, or group owns multiple channels. Dan Pascari owns One TV and Star TV, while the Stețco family controls Cinema 1 and 7TV channels. Additionally, TV8's administration team launched a new channel, 1TV, in October 2024. All other major TV service providers operate single stations.
Radio Ownership
Apart from the public stations (Radio Moldova, Radio Chișinău, and GRT FM), major radio stations are owned by private companies or public associations. The Lozovan family business portfolio controls Hit FM, Radio Relax, and Radio Roks. Radio Noroc, one of the most popular stations, is managed by prominent businessman Ceslav Ciuhrii, who also owns Noroc TV and has interests in pharmaceutical, real estate, and HORECA sectors. Kiss FM belongs to the Greek Kyriakou family's Antenna Group, which operates media businesses across multiple countries.
Newspaper Ownership
Moldova's major newspapers are privately owned, with no state-funded publications. Among popular newspapers, only Komsomolskaya Pravda (KP) in Moldova has foreign ownership, operating as a subsidiary of the Russian newspaper. Several nationally recognized newspapers, including Timpul, Jurnal de Chișinău, and Gazeta de Chișinău, have ceased publication due to economic challenges.
Online News Media Ownership
Two business groups dominate online media audiences in Moldova. Simpals Company, owned by Dmitri Voloșin, operates Stiri.md and Point.md news sites, along with the largest classified ads platform 999.md and the Numbers advertising agency. Noi.md, ranking in the top 3 most visited news sites, is owned by businessman Vasili Chirtoca, who maintains diverse business interests including IT, cosmetics production, real estate, and automotive sectors, and has been politically active with various parties.
