On April 7, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed the law on public television and radio broadcasting.
Poroshenko signed the document during the presentation of the
national public broadcaster at Mystetsky Arsenal in Kyiv, and he said
that “friends, public broadcasting will be!”
As reported, on March 19, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the
law specifying the mechanism to set up the public broadcasting company.
The law specifies the provisions of the law on defining the mechanism
to create the National Public TV and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine, its
organizational-legal form, its source of funding, and the conditions of
the payment of wages.
The law states that public TV and radio broadcasting in Ukraine is
created as the public join-stock agency “National Public TV and Radio
Company of Ukraine;” and 100 percent of its shares belong to the state.
The agency is created on the basis of the National TV Company of
Ukraine, the National Radio Company of Ukraine, “Culture” state TV and
radio company, regional state TV and radio companies, “Crimea” state TV
and radio company, state organizations of Kyiv state region TV and radio
companies, Seavstopol regional state TV and radio company, “Siverska”
Novhorod-Siversky regional state TV and radio company, “Kryvorozhye”
Kryvy Rih regional state TV and radio company and “Ukrtelefilm” TV
movies studio that will be reformed by joining the National TV company
of Ukraine.
The creation of the “National Public TV and Radio Company of Ukraine”
agency will be carried out upon the decision of the Cabinet of
Ministers of Ukraine.
“National Public TV and Radio Company of Ukraine is an object of
nationwide importance. Dispossession, transfer (except for short-term
rent), privatization of immovable property, objects of unfinished
construction, land lots they are located on, and shares belonging to the
state in company’s charter capital are prohibited,” reads the adopted
law.
The law defines the provisions that must be reflected in the charter of the public broadcasting company.
In addition, the law stipulates that company’s supervisory council
will elect the Chairman of the Board through a tender, and that members
of the board will be elected upon its suggestion.
The adopted law states that the supervisory council will consist of
eight representatives elected by MP factions and groups in the Verkhovna
Rada of Ukraine, and nine members elected by public unions and
associations.
The adopted amendments stipulate the company will be funded via a subscription fee.
The law also foresees that the “National TV Company of Ukraine
broadcasts on no less than two nationwide channels of a multichannel TV
network (public-cultural and culture-educational), on regional channels
of a multichannel TV network, and on no less than three nationwide radio
channels (public-cultural, culture-educational and youth).”
