VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHCH #1383 3271429
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 231429Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY CHISINAU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5937
INFO RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 4240
RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KYIV 0544
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 3254

C O N F I D E N T I A L CHISINAU 001383 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/UMB 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/23/2017 
TAGS: PGOV ECON PHUM MD
SUBJECT: MOLDOVA MEDIA MACHINATIONS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Michael D. Kirby for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) On November 17, John Maxemchuk (protect), General 
Director of Sun Communications, an American joint-venture 
cable and internet service provider, told Econoff of a 
request made to his company to stop the transmission of 
television channels that compete with pro-President Voronin 
television channels.  (NOTE: Maxemchuk is also the founding 
President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Moldova.  He 
is well and favorably known to the Embassy.  END NOTE.) 
 
¶2. (C) Maxemchuk told Econoff that his Moldovan partner 
received a call from Vladimir Plahotniuc, General Director of 
Petrom-Moldova, and Chairman of the Board of Victoriabank, 
regarding Sun's problems with the National Agency for the 
Protection of Competition (ANPC).  (NOTE:  Moldova's newly 
established ANPC recently ruled against Sun's cable 
operations.  END NOTE.)  Plahotniuc, a close business 
associate of Oleg Voronin, President Vladimir Voronin's son, 
offered to make Sun's problems with ANPC go away - for a 
price.  Plahotniuc said his associates wanted Sun to stop the 
transmission of three Russian television channels broadcast 
via Sun's cable system, NTV, TNT and STS.  According to 
Maxemchuk, Plahotniuc indicated that his business associates 
separately hoped to acquire the rights for the three 
television channels.  The son of former Moldovan President 
Petru Luchinschi controls the re-broadcast rights for NTV and 
TNT; a lesser known Moldovan businessman controls the 
re-broadcast of STS.  We believe Plahotniuc didn't want 
competition from these three channels for Russia's Channel 
One (ORT) in Moldova and the Moldovan NIT channel.  It is 
widely believed that Oleg Voronin owns the re-broadcast 
rights for ORT, and NIT is overwhelmingly pro-President 
Voronin. 
 
¶3. (C) Sun has 75,000 cable subscribers (about 50% of the 
market share) in Chisinau, and competes with 15 smaller cable 
companies.  According to national media ratings, Maxemchuk 
noted, the top five foreign and domestic television channels 
in Moldova are: ORT, STS, NIT, Moldova One (state 
television), and NTV.  If Oleg Voronin and associates succeed 
in shutting down the re-broadcast of these television 
channels, or if they acquire the rights to re-broadcast NTV, 
TNT and STS, the financial benefits from advertising would be 
great.  Additionally, President Voronin and his son would 
dominate broadcast media in the run-up to the 2009 national 
elections. 
 
¶4. (C) COMMENT: Maxemchuk and his partner rebuffed 
Plahotniuc's request.  Maxemchuk was worried about the 
influence of Oleg Voronin's associates and the possible 
repercussions for his decision not to cooperate on his own 
business.  Maxemchuk was also concerned about the future of 
broadcast media in Moldova.  This case might provide insight 
into President Voronin and the Communist Party's (PCRM) 
thinking ahead of the 2009 election.  If the PCRM believes 
defeat is likely (based on the results of the June local 
elections), perhaps the Voronin clan believes that acquiring 
control of the most important media - television - will help 
mitigate the risk.  Alternatively, the Voronin family and its 
close associates may simply wish to fatten their pockets 
further during their remaining time in power. 
KIRBY