Since the Romanian revolution in 1989, Romania has had a "free" and "democratic" press.
Before 1989, there were only 2 public television channels TVR1 and TVR2,
2 public radio stations 1 and 2, and a few newspapers, all under the thumb of the communist party.
We currently have over 15 radio stations and 7 tv stations operating in Bucharest and at national level, whereas the offer of printed press has increased to over 10 newspapers only in Bucharest.
You can find most of the top radio and tv stations in our Media Resources Section .
We consider that the best way to make a presentation of Romanian media companies is to let people who do the job speak.
"Talking about an independent Romanian media is like selling bushes"
 Read the interview with Cornel Ciomazga, President of the Association of European Journalists, Romanian Branch.
Media Resources- Comprises a description of the most important media companies, as well as a complete list of media organizations in Romania.

Cartoonists
Horatiu Malaiele
Ion Barbu

Chief Editors


Publishers, Presidents, Managers
Cornel Ciomazga


Horatiu Malaiele


Horatiu Malaiele.


Motto:
"The wise attack
The stupid get upset and pull back."
-At the entrance of HosiMi gallery-

   ' Come in, you, who are the last over there, and close that door.'
  Horatiu Malaiele's greeting makes you believe you are before the same person one knows from the performances at Nottara Theater. Garrulous, familiar, not much interested in social conventions. And after you spend half an hour in his gallery, you are even convinced that there is no difference at all between the cartoonist and the actor Horatiu Malaiele.

  Ho si Mi Gallery is actually a 9 feet wide on 15 feet long room or 9 feet long on 15 feet wide showroom, as you wish. After you have entered, you fall to believe that even your kitchenette can llok like that. The stacks of caricature give new light and color to the walls. Lots and lots of drawings suddenly make the place big enough for a conference or meetings hall. The drawings sketch politicians, sportspeople, VIPs.

  ' A politician came once and got very upset because his portrait had huge ears', recounts Malaiele, who is permanently drawing on a pad. ' These people would rather buy the whole gallery than see their portraits in public'.
' A caricature may begin from any detail. Look, I started this one by drawing the eyes.' On the sheet of paper there is only a pair of glasses, but the exposed portraits are piled with details.

  The sharp profile and big nose is characteristic to Bogdan Petri. The long shapes come into view in Octav Mardale's cartoons. Silviu Turculet is much more closer to Malaiele, both of them giving an ironical representation.
Four cartoonists and dozens of cartoons is the definition for Ho si Mi Gallery.
  One of the dos and don'ts rules in the Balkans is to end most of the meetings in a pub. Cartoonist Ion Barbu invited us to have a beer. Inside the pub, customers and bartenders have big noses, huge ears and long shapes.

Ion Barbu

   Once you look at Ion Barbu, you have the impression that you know him from somewhere. His gray hair and thick beard remind of history classes, when Dacians- the ancestors of Romanian people today- were often portrayed as bold and thick bearded. Mr. Barbu is one of our typical ancestors, but instead of a sword he handles the pen- an efficient weapon to win contemporary battles.
   Ion Barbu smiles enigmatically. He taps easily on his shoulder bag labeled ' vagabond'. The young lady near him asks for a portrait. ' You mean a portrait or a caricature?' , he pops up the question to be sure of the girl's request. ' Well... I'd like a caricature' So Barbu starts drawing a long, looong nose. ' Oh, no. Not something like that', the maid suddenly bursts out. ' See, I was sure you would get upset. This is a common reaction', adds Barbu, and after he traces a few more outlines, the nose seems to be perfect even to fit Snow White's complexion.


   ' However, not all the people have common reactions', says Barbu.' For instance, I have been drawing over 2000 cartoons representing Ion Iliescu and I still haven't got any feedback from him. When drawing,
I imagine Ion Iliescu as being the smiley little man who often gets bored at home and who peppers his life with politics. I represent Mr. Iliescu with his wife, and I do my best to put them both in my cartoons.'
   Here, Mr. Barbu stops. He has just finished his beer and starts drinking the coffee. After two or three sips, he goes on to tell more about his cartoons.
  ' Being a cartoonist is not so hard as it may seem. You need the sense of humor, some talents, and a sharp spirit to spot events around you. Style evolves in time. Generally, cartoons nowadays have fewer details because cartoonists tend to work less. Unfortunately, there are even cartoonists who have the captions written by someone else.'



   The girl's portrait is now ready. This time, there are no huge ears or goggled eyes. But the funny resemblance accounts for the luring effect cartoons have in newspapers: showing in drawings what others put in words.




A back view of Ion Barbu - drawing the portrait of a student.

 

Cornel Ciomazga

The first talk-show man in Romania after 1990, the first director of a private radio station, the president of the Association of European Journalists, Romanian branch- this is in short the business card of Cornel Ciomazga.


Cornel Ciomazga

Asked of the state of Romanian media in 2000, Mr. Ciomazga answers at once:" Talking about an independent Romanian media is like selling bushes. There is no such thing. Every Romanian media company is politically involved. We had an independent media in the beginning of the 1990s, but,unfortunately, now it's hard for me to believe that well-know journalists or media companies have no ties to politics"

The story of the last ten years in Cornel Ciomazga's life probably comprises more resignations and dismissals than any other Romanian journalist's life. After the collective resignations from Zig-Zag Magazine, Mr. Ciomazga was appointed director of the first private radio station- Fun Radio- an expansion of Fun Radio network in France.
The appointment was followed by anew resignation in less than 2 years, on an internal conflict basis. Fun Radio splited in Fun Radio and Unifan Radio, the latter becoming Uniplus Radio today. Cornel Ciomazga was then a program director at Radio Tinerama in Bucharest...untill the radio changed its owner and Cornel was thrown away by two bodyguards. The radio transaction followed a series of financial problems, rising from 'coincidental' loss of all major advertising contracts.
Then, Cornel Ciomazga became the President of the Association of European Journalists, Romanian branch.
" Our goal now is to identify and lead journalists towards the EU integration process. I am sure that journalism will change and improve consistently in Romania in the following years.

 








"The stars that everyone see on their tv screens will soon disappear and their place will be taken by genuine young professionals", concludes Mr. Ciomazga, while he finishes his last glass of lemon and mineral water.
We finally shake hands and part. Looking back again, you can't refrain from thinking:" Look, someone who has had a lot of bad luck and made it through life". And, more important, is still optimistic.