Overview
Romania has one of the most dynamic media markets in southeastern Europe. TV is the medium of choice for most Romanians. State-owned TVR and the private stations Pro TV and Antena 1 command the lion's share of viewing, however there is a large number of smaller, private stations, some of them part of local networks. The state broadcaster, TVR, operates a second national network, TVR 2, and a pan-European satellite channel. Pay TV channels have a smaller but significant audience.
The first private radio stations appeared in 1990; there are now more than 100 of them. State-run Radio Romania operates four national networks and regional and local stations. BBC World Service is available on 88 FM in the capital, and is relayed in Timişoara (93.9), Sibiu (88.4) and Constanta (96.9).
Most households in Bucharest have cable TV. There are hundreds of cable distributors offering access to Romanian, European and other stations.
Romania's newspaper market thrived after the 1989 revolution, but many newspapers subsequently closed because of rising costs.
The 1991 constitution upholds freedom of expression, but prohibits "defamation of the country".
In 2007 the media rights body Reporters Without Borders praised reforms to the criminal code; journalists can no longer be jailed on defamation charges.
Read more about this topic: Romanian Media