Ukraine

[UA] Foreign TV severely restricted

IRIS 2015-7:1/30

Andrei Richter

Comenius University (Bratislava)

The Supreme Rada adopted on 14 May and the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed into force on 4 June amendments to the 1996 Law on Advertising (see IRIS 1997-1/20) and 2006 Law on Broadcasting (see IRIS 2006-5/34) that affect some foreign broadcasters. The amendments enter into force on 5 August 2015.

The amendments introduce a total ban on commercials in TV programmes of foreign TV and radio entities that broadcast (rebroadcast) in Ukraine unless those entities are under jurisdiction of the states that are members of the EU or parties to the European Convention on Transfrontier Television (ECTT).

They also introduce a requirement that a Ukrainian entity that intends to rebroadcast programmes of foreign entities that are not under the jurisdiction of the states that are members of the EU or parties to the ECTT may start rebroadcasting only if it has a license from the right-holder and only under condition that such programmes (channels) correspond to the laws of Ukraine or to the ECTT and are included in the list of programmes (channels) that are permitted to be retransmitted by a decision of the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting (see IRIS 1998-4/14).

References

Про внесення змін до деяких законів України щодо особливостей трансляції (ретрансляції) реклами, яка міститься у програмах та передачах іноземних телерадіоорганізацій
http://zakon2.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/422-19
Law of Ukraine of 14 May 2015, N № 422-VIII on amending some laws of Ukraine as to particularities of transmission (retransmission) of advertising in programmes of foreign TV broadcasters, published on the official website of the Supreme Rada on 5 June 2015

IRIS 2006-5:1/34 [UA] Sweep Changes in Broadcasting Statute

IRIS 1998-4:1/14 [UA] New Law Establishing the National Television and Radio Broadcasting Council

IRIS 1997-1:1/20 [UA] New law on advertising