A group of Ukrainian journalists announced their plans to create an online TV channel as of this autumn, which will specialize in journalistic investigations and other concepts that are out of favor with mainstream TV channels.
The concept is being
designed by a loose group of about a dozen practicing and former
journalists, of whom eight had earlier splintered from the
oppositional TVi channel, which underwent a suspicious change of
ownership at the end of April.
The channel is called
hromadske.tv, or public TV, but the name merely pays lip service to
the concept of serving the public and its interests rather than
a true public television channel because the creators will have to
secure grant funding to launch it – at least initially.
The hectic presentation of
the concept on June 11 showed that there was more enthusiasm behind
the idea than thought-out policies and strategies. Creators of the
channel took stage one after another, telling personal stories of why
they decided to take part in the project that so far looks like it
will make it difficult for them to survive – at least in the near
term.
“Three years ago, when I
started to work as a young journalist at First National Channel and
came across censorship, the moment came soon when I realized that I
can no longer work like that any more,” said Yulia Bankova, a young
TV presenter.
Although the shortest, her
story in a nutshell tells the reasons why journalists have decided to
take the bet with an online project the likes of which Ukraine has
not yet seen.
At the presentation,
organizers said their target audience is a small but growing middle
class in Ukraine, which by their calculations now constitutes about
20 percent of Ukraine’s population, for whom dignity and mutual
respect are core values.
To ensure fair news
coverage, the channel’s editorial board includes eight journalists,
who set the channel’s policy. Among them are
ex-TVi journalists and anchormen Mustafa Nayem, Dmytro Gnap and
Bankova, as well as ex-STB journalist Serhiy Andrushko.
According to Andrushko,
the channel hopes to start broadcasting in September. Their
programming policy is still in the works, but the editorial board will
approve the content.
“We want to produce multimedia
content – video, audio, photos, but we also want to have regular
broadcasting, original programs. There should be not only politics,
but also children’s programs and investigations done by
journalists from different parts of Ukraine,” Andrushko said.
“That’s a unique
opportunity, because due to the Internet development we can be on air
without having TV frequencies, and ability to afford expensive
equipment,” he adds.
Journalists hope to get
their project funded though three different sources: international
foundations, advertisement and donations. The channel began
negotiations with several charity foundations and hopes to receive the first
grant installment in July, journalist Dmytro Gnap says.
“Our principles are
transparency and independence. We are ready to receive money from
anyone, even if (President) Viktor Yanukovych transfers us his
writer’s royalty of Hr 15 million. The only thing is that any
donation amount gives no right to influence editorial policy,”
he says.
But it appears more convincing of donors
is needed. Several
representatives of major non-government organizations who specialize
in supporting free media left the 40-minute presentation half-way
through.
Kyiv
Post staff writer Kateryna Kapliuk can be reached at [email protected].
