Pro TV
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Pro TV is one of the most popular Romanian television channels. It is based in Bucharest and is broadcast via terrestrial analogue and cable in most regions of the country and the Republic of Moldova. Pro TV is owned by the Media PRO group, which owns a number of other TV channels, newspapers and a press agency.
The channel started in 1993 as Canal 31, covering Bucharest only. It re-launched under the brand name Pro TV on December 1, 1995 (Romania's National day), this time with nationwide coverage. From the beginning, Pro TV sported a dynamic image, inspired by American television channels, in stark contrast with a dull and unresourceful public TV - TVR - at that moment the only TV network with national coverage. Their programme was a mix of entertainment (mostly popular, blockbuster movies) with sharp, good-quality news. They are generally credited for creating modern television in Romania. Within two years, they became the most watched TV channel in urban areas, outsurpassing by far other channels in terms of viewing audience. In 1998, it had over 50% market share in Bucharest and other urban areas.
Following the successful launch of Pro TV, Media PRO set up a few other channels, such as Pro TV International (featuring a selection of Pro TV's programme aimed at Romanians living abroad), Acasă and Pro Cinema (movie channels).
In the wake of the 1996 elections, Pro TV actively supported the opposition (Romanian Democratic Convention) and was an important factor in their landmark victory against the incumbent PDSR, an event which is thought to have brought a breath of fresh air in Romanian politics. Since then, Media PRO ran into financial trouble, accumulating years of unpaid taxes. These debts are, as of 2004, still outstanding. Since 2000, the PDSR (now PSD)-dominated government has tolerated Media PRO's debts, and, in turn, Pro TV's news programmes appear to have "toned down" their criticism towards the government, sometimes avoiding politics events altogether and developing instead a more tabloid-like news selection. Ever since, Pro TV has lost much of its viewers to the rival Antena 1. Their market share recovered a little after Antena 1 openly turned into the bugle of the Social Democratic Party during the 2004 election campaign.
External links
- Pro TV Romania (http://www.protv.ro)
- Pro TV Moldova (http://www.protv.md)