You're reading: Ukraine launches public broadcasting

Ukrainian public-service television and radio broadcasting was launched on April 7 after President Petro Poroshenko signed a law clearing the way for it. The public broadcasting operation is named UA: Suspilne Movlenia (or UA: Public Broadcasting).

The new law provides the legal status for UA: Suspilne Movlenia and establishes supervisory and editorial oversight structures.

“The only two restrictions for journalists are the muses and the law now,” Poroshenko said after signing.

Still, he is not pleased that political-party representatives currently serve as members of the public broadcasting supervisory council. But he says that he considers this to be temporary. “We need to let NGO and journalists set management,” he said. “To give them responsibility for the quality, neutrality and independence from the politicians and the moneybags.”

The Verkhovna Rada approved the first version of the law about public broadcasting in April 2014 and the final version was approved in March 2015. Independent public broadcasting formats are strongly supported by the Council of Europe and the European Union, and their creation is one of the steps for Ukraine to become a member of the EU.

According to Zurab Alasania, the head of Ukrainian public broadcasting, public television will comprise two cultural-educational-political channels, and three radio networks, including one for youth. Alasania also aims to make public television and radio accessible on mobile devices.

Television programming will include explorations of life in Europe, news programs, humor and cultural programs, sports, and all genres of music.

Public radio channels will be based on existing ones – Pershy, Promin and Kultura.

Kyiv Post staff writer Yulia Sosnovska can be reached at [email protected].