Fast Facts For over 60 years, Radio Europa Libera, now RFE/RL's Moldovan Service, has been a dependable source of information and news. Radio Europa Libera has a substantial presence in Moldova and is frequently cited in local media. Language: Romanian Coverage:  90 minutes Monday-Friday, 30 minutes Saturday-Sunday, 30 minutes weekly to Transdniester in Russian (15 minutes) and Romanian (15 minutes) Established: Experimental broadcasting in1950, fully operational 1951 Distribution: Radio (SM, MW, FM, UKV, CBL, Satellite), Internet (www.europalibera.org) Locations: Prague headquarters, Chisinau Staff: 4 in Prague, 6 in Chisinau, 25 stringers

Media Environment

• Freedom House Freedom of the Press Index, 2010: Not Free (144th/196)
• Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index, 2009: 114th/175
• Despite constitutional guarantees of press freedom, defamation and insulting the state remain criminal offenses. Prison sentences for libel were abolished in 2004, but self-censorship among journalists is still common in order to avoid exorbitant fines. News outlets risk criminal investigation if they report on touchy subjects such as the Security and Information Service.
• According to Reporters Without Borders, the media was “targeted” by demonstrators and “treated as an enemy” by security forces during post-election unrest in April 2009.

Highlights

• Radio Europa Libera reported extensively on the 2009 "Twitter Revolution," with a focus on the use of new technologies in uniting and driving political movements.
• Radio Europa Libera remains the largest international radio broadcaster in Moldova. Eighty-seven percent of listeners credit its programs with increasing their understanding of current events "somewhat" or "a great deal."
• In the beginning of 2009, Europa Libera launched a new Internet site that has witnessed a 100 percent increase in traffic. This is especially due to exclusive audio and video features, which attract a lot of new visitors to the site. Due to this increased exposure, Europa Libera reports are now reprinted by most news outlets in Moldova.

​​
Population
3.6 million (World Bank estimate, 2008)

Most Common Languages:
Romanian (Moldovan), Russian, Ukranian, Gagauz

Press Freedom Index (Freedom House):
Not Free, ranked 144 out of 196 (2010)

Press Freedom Index (RSF):
114 out of 175 (2010)

Corruption Index (Transparency Int.):
105 out of 178 (2010)

Global Peace Index (IES):
66 out of 149 (2010)

Amnesty International:
Moldova Report (2009)