The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has called on the Ukrainian government to resume public broadcasting.
“We urge the authorities to restore transmissions immediately and allocate the necessary funding to allow public service media to fulfil its critical role to society and to democracy in Ukraine,” EBU Director General Noel Curran has said.
The EBU says it has been leading calls to secure appropriate funding for UA:PBC in line with Ukrainian law and European standards.
“It is critical that citizens have access to independent, pluralistic news and information. This is especially important in the run up to next year’s Presidential and Parliamentary elections in Ukraine,” the EBU said in a statement on Sept. 26.
This year the Ukrainian broadcaster, which already has one of the smallest budgets in Europe, only received around half the budget defined by national law (about 40 million euros).
As was reported, the state-owned Broadcasting, Radiocommunications & Television Concern (BRT) on Sept. 25 suspended broadcasts of the UA:Pershyi (UA:First) national television channel over debts.
In June, UA:First stopped analogue broadcasting in Kyiv and eight other cities and towns because of the lack of funds to pay for transmissions.
