Ukraine

[UA] Public Broadcasting Act Enters into Force

IRIS 1998-4:1/13

Andrei Richter

Comenius University (Bratislava)

After a debate between the Parliament and the President over some provisions of the Public Broadcasting Act (see IRIS 1997-10: 12), Ukraine has finally adopted a law providing the legal basis for the creation of a public broadcasting system in this country. The Ukrainian Parliament adopted and the President of Ukraine signed into law, the Act "on the System of Public Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine", which consequently entered into force on 5 November 1997.

The system has been created in the name of an all-round satisfaction of the information needs of society and to provide for a pluralistic broadcasting environment, while taking into account the national traditions and the moral and ethical standards of the People of Ukraine, - says the Act in its preamble.

The Act contains ten Articles. It establishes Public Broadcasting as a TV and radio organization - an independent legal entity - that has a status of a nationwide unitary and non-profit system of mass communication and is an object of property of the people of Ukraine (Art.1). The statute of the public broadcasting organisation as well as its general programme concept are to be approved by the Supreme Rada (Parliament).

The Supreme Rada will also have a role in the creation of the governing bodies of the public broadcaster. The activities of the public broadcasting organisation will be monitored by the "Public Council". Members of the "Public Council" are to represent all political parties in Parliament, nationwide artistic and public societies, and a number of government departments (Art. 3, 4). A Council for quality control is to be established, which will advise the Public Council on the professionalism of the candidates to the Administrative Council (Art. 5). The latter will come under the authority of the Public Council and will be in charge of the day-to-day management of the public broadcasting organisation (Art. 6).

The public broadcasting organisation will be financed from the revenues of a licence fee, procurement fees for the programmes produced for the Government, commercial activity related to broadcasting, and other sources. Advertising will be prohibited. (Art. 7). The establishment of the public broadcaster and its activities in the first year of existence are to be financed from the general national budget (Art. 10).