The Council for Broadcasting and Retransmission (RVR) fined the broadcaster of Žilina-based Radio Frontinus for a talk show attended by Milan Mazurek, MP of the far-right People’s Party – Our Slovakia (ĽSNS). It has to pay €15,000, the TASR newswire reported.
The talk show was broadcast on October 2, 2016. The RVR claimed it was not impartial as Mazurek was the only guest. It disliked the one-sided opinions on solving Roma problems, and the system of prisons, pensions or redistribution of public money. The MP also commented on the activities of the coalition, the opposition, the general prosecutor and the non-governmental organisation People Against Racism.
The council received altogether eight complaints concerning the talk show.
“The radio did not provide any opposition opinion, by which it failed to secure objectiveness and impartiality of the programme,” said Lucia Jelčová, spokesperson for RVR, as quoted by TASR.
Moreover, RVR also sanctioned the radio with a notice of law violation for Mazurek’s offensive statements against Roma and Islamic migrants.
The decision is still not valid as it may be appealed by submitting a lawsuit to the respective regional court, TASR wrote.
