HOT MEDIA SECTOR NEWS

Media Environment during Conflict and When New Government Is in Place      

Zeonbud Is Now Digital Services Monopolist

• December 23 – The Anti-Monopoly Committee of Ukraine completed a research of the digital telecommunication market (DVB-T2 standard) and recognized Zeonbud as monopolist provider of four digital multiplexes – MX – 1, MX – 2, MX – 3 and MX – 5. The Committee publicized the report saying that “the ground for the conclusions was information received from the state institutions, expert organizations, broadcasters, TV-radio stations, which are the users of Zeonbud TV communication services, as well as other market participants”. The research confirmed that currently there is no alternative to the services Zeonbud provides,     http://www.telekritika.ua/rinok/2014-12-23/101904

Chornomorska TV Gets Its Arrested Equipment Back

• December 22 – The Crimean television and radio transmitting center returned the arrested equipment to the owner, the Chornomorska TV and Radio Company. According to the reporter of the Center for Investigative Journalism, the resolution to return the equipment was passed by the Russia Federal Bailiffs` Service based on the decision of the Sevastopol Appeal Court, which upheld the decision of the Commercial Court of Crimea on the return of the property to the broadcaster. Besides the Chornomorska’s equipment, the equipment belonging to the Center for Investigative Journalism and Information Press Center, who rented premises at the Chornomorska TV and Radio Company at the time of arrest, was returned to the owners as well, http://investigator.org.ua/news/145056/; http://www.telekritika.ua/pravo/2014-12-23/101869.

Attack On Road Control Reporters at Akhmetov’s Construction Site

• December 22 – As reported on the Road Control on-line media web-site, in the village of Pliuty, the Obukhiv district, Kyiv region, several journalists, including the Road Control employees, have been attacked by the security people of the construction site that is run by the company owned by Mr. Rinat Akhmetov. During the incident, the guards beat the Road Control journalists, Mr. Andriy Dzyndzia, who also is the assistant to the MP, Ms. Tetiana Chornovol. According to the media, “a full-scale construction was started in the forest in the village of Pliuty, the Obukhiv district, Kyiv region. The Road Control and other media journalists took a decision to investigate the case”. After the journalists tried to make a photo of the construction, the guard men attacked Mr. Andriy Dzyndzia, they started choking him and took his camera out. The guards also tried to force another journalist to stop shooting a fight on her mobile phone. The police was called according to the fact of attacking journalists. The chief of the security men denied the fact that his subordinates took the camera out and stated that “the camera remained in our hands, and you have left.” The entire conflict is available at the video placed at the Road Control web-site. “Interestingly, the guard who committed the attack (Mr. Volodymyr Lapa), resides in Donetsk ...", the Road Control wrote, http://www.telekritika.ua/profesija/2014-12-22/101845; http://roadcontrol.org.ua/node/2420.

Tax Administration and Prosecutor General's Office Suspect NTN TV Channel in Tax Evasion

• December 22 – As the press service of the Kyiv Prosecutor General's Office reported, the Tax Administration and Prosecutor General's Office investigate a case of tax evasion by a TV broadcaster for the amount of UAH 23.7 million. According to the Telekritika’s source, the TV broadcaster is the NTN TV channel. According to the Prosecutor General's Office, during the year 2013, while running operations in TV broadcasting and providing advertising services in media, “the company officials wrongly underestimated financial obligations to the state totaling over UAH 23.7 million.” On the fact of deliberate large scale tax evasion, a criminal proceeding under Part 3, Article 212 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (deliberate evasion of mandatory payments) was initiated. A pre-trial investigation in criminal proceedings is conducted by the Investigation Department on the Financial Investigations of the State Tax Administration in the Shevchenko district, the Main Department of the State Fiscal Service in the city of Kyiv. Procedural guidance is conducted by the Prosecutor's Office of the Shevchenko, the city of Kyiv, http://www.telekritika.ua/pravo/2014-12-22/101824

Ukraine’s National Union of Journalists Ceases Existence in Crimea 

• December 22 – According to the press service of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), the Union’s plenary session, by the majority vote, approved December 18 decision to stop the activities of the Crimean regional organization. The fate of the Crimean regional NUJU governing bodies was resolved during the Union’s session and Secretariat meeting on December 17-18. Back on June 1, on the initiative of the former leader of the Crimean Union Lyudmila Khoroshylova, a constituent assembly was held to establish a branch of the Russian Union of Journalists on the peninsula. Consequently, a special meeting of the Crimean National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (CNUJU) took the decision to liquidate the organization. However, no documents in support of these initiatives have been submitted to the Union’s central office. NUJU condemned such actions of the Crimean leadership, and invited Crimean journalists not willing to lose ties with the Ukrainian Union, to reregister in Kyiv regional organization, http://www.telekritika.ua/profesija/2014-12-22/101808.

Ukraine’s First National Channel Is to Broadcast in Belarus

• December 22 – Presidents of Ukraine and Belarus agreed that the neighboring state will launch broadcasting of Ukraine’s First National Channel, as MP Mustafa Nayem wrote in his Facebook.  According to him, this news was first brought by the Minister of Information Policy Yuriy Stets and Director General of the National Television Company of Ukraine Zurab Alasania, http://www.telekritika.ua/rinok/2014-12-22/101804

Media Trade Union Demands Completed Investigations of Violations against Journalists during Revolution of Dignity

• December 20 –  Delegates to the general assembly of the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine Kyiv branch  expressed their indignation over the inactiveness of the Prosecutor General delaying the investigation of cases of violation of journalists' rights during the Revolution of dignity,  IMTUU pointed out in its statement to media. “IMTUU Kyiv organization demands from investigating authorities to bring to justice not only the executors (soldiers and sergeants of special service units), but also junior and senior officers whose action or inaction led to attacks on journalists, - highlighted a Media Trade Union representative. - The investigation must be completed, as soon as possible, and all materials submitted to and examined in an open and non-biased court." Members of the general assembly have concluded that the Prosecutor's Office openly demonstrates unwillingness to bring this investigation to its logical end. Journalists- participants warn that Media Trade Union reserves the right to publicly raise the issues of compliance of Ukraine’s Prosecutor General to his position and professional competence of other officials responsible for investigating crimes against journalists, as well as to hold mass protests and apply to international media organizations,   http://www.telekritika.ua/pravo/2014-12-20/101782

Media Legislation

• December 24 – The Public Council at the State Committee on TV and Radio summed up its work in 2014 and discussed plans for the next year. During the first quarter of 2015 the Public Council will focus on such issues as public broadcasting, print media de-statization, delivery of compulsory sample of documents, access to public information and other issues. The current Public Council has been working since May 2013. According to the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers, all Public Councils that were formed after February 22, 2014 are to be re-elected, http://www.telekritika.ua/kontekst/2014-12-24/101920.

Committee on Freedom of Speech Recommends Adoption of Amendments to Legislative Acts on PSB

• December 18 - The Parliamentary Committee on Freedom of Speech and Information decided to recommend the Parliament to adopt the bill №1357 “on Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Public Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine”. The bill clarifies certain provisions of the Law regarding: NSTU creation mechanism and its legal form; funding sources; labor remuneration; protection of property rights and interests of NSTU employees; improving functions of the Supervisory Board; formation and work principles of the Supervisory and Editorial Boards. The draft Law envisions the possibility to fund public broadcasting through monthly fees, allowed more adverting slots that will be decreased on the 5^th year of broadcasting, http://stv.mediasapiens.ua/material/36205.

Draft Law On Amendments to TV & Radio Law Registered

• December 18 – MPs Yuriy Derevyanko, Mykola Tomenko and Iryna Suslova registered a draft Law “on "Amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On Television and Radio" to mark TV and radio programs and/or advertisements funded by the state budget. MPs justified the need of this bill by the lack of public control over the expenditures of the state budget money to produce and broadcast programs for public use. The ordered programs or specific brand advertising were often produced with the state budget money without public control. According to the draft Law such products will be marked by a text and blue/yellow square, http://medialaw.kiev.ua/news/archive/2826/. 

National Union of Journalists` Proposal On Reformation of State and Communal Print Media  

• December 23 – According to the press-service of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) the Secretariat of the Union made an open appeal on reformation of state and communal print media. In this appeal, the Union of journalists confirms its position concerning the necessity of the state and communal press reformation in Ukraine. At the same time, the NUJU pays attention to faults of a draft Law of Ukraine # 1123 “On Reformation of State and Communal Print Media” that was registered at the Parliament. Namely, the NUJU expresses its concern about the following clauses of this draft Law: one-year period of a “pilot project” during which all necessary procedures are impossible to implement, uncertainty concerning state`s support of the press, lack of precise researches on newspapers development. To the NUJU`s Secretariat`s opinion, it can lead to local press destruction in Ukraine. The NUJU proposes to develop and approve a purpose-oriented national program “Small press” aiming at creating precise criteria and indexes in order to provide, if necessary, state support to local print media.  http://www.telekritika.ua/pravo/2014-12-23/101864.
• December 21 - Pursuant to the Law “On the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine” the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the members of the Commission for conducting a vacancy competition for the position of the director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau: Mr. Iosyf  Zisels, Ms. Oleksandra Yanovska and Mr. Yuriy Butusov. This decision was made during the Government`s meeting on Sunday, December 21.  Mr. Iosyf Zisels – a well-known human rights activist, during the soviet period – a participant of dissident and human rights movements, a member of the Ukrainian Helsinki group. Ms. Oleksandra Yanovska – professor of the justice department of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University, doctor in law, an ad hoc judge of European Court on human rights.  Mr. Yuriy Butusov – a known journalist, author of many well-publicized corruption materials and journalist investigations, editor-in-chief of “Cenzor.net”. http://www.kmu.gov.ua/control/uk/publish/article?art_id=247831722&cat_id=244274130

• December 19 – During its regular meeting on 24 December the members of the Parliamentary Freedom of Speech and Information Committee will consider 2 issues: 1) Preventing legal professional activity of STB channel`s journalists in Irpin city (Kyiv region); 2) Decision of the National Television and Broadcasting Council of Ukraine about its caution to the TV channel “Espreso-TV” concerning rebroadcasting of the President Mr. Putin`s speech to the Federal Assembly from the Russian TV channel “Russia Today”.  The Committee will also consider draft Laws: #1405 - On Amendments to Some Legislative Acts of the Law of Ukraine On Obligatory On-line Broadcasting of Open Sessions of Parliamentary Committees - introduced by MPs Mykola Tomenko, Volodymyr Areshonkov, Oleksandr Abdullin, Iryna Gerashchenko and Olena Kondratyuk;  #1455 – On Amendments to Some  Legislative Acts of the Law of Ukraine (on peculiarities of advertisement broadcasting (rebroadcasting) that belongs to programs and telecasts of foreign TV and radio companies) introduced by MPs Olena Kondratyuk, Oleksandr Abdullin, Mykola Knyazhytsky, Iryna Gerashchenko and Vadym Denysenko,  http://www.telekritika.ua/pravo/2014-12-19/101759

• December 18 – Inviting to discussion leading media experts, lawyers, representatives of the National Security and Defense Council, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State TV and Radio Committee of Ukraine, National Institute for Strategic Studies, managers of the state TV and radio companies, the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee for Freedom of Speech & Information Ms. Victoria Syumar noted that in order to launch, as soon as possible, foreign broadcasting, a number of organizational questions should be legally adjusted. There are two ways how to do this: to make amendments to current Law of Ukraine “On TV and Radio Broadcasting” or to develop a separate law.  The Chair of the Committee emphasized that she personally is for the second variant and thinks that foreign languages broadcasting law should be developed to determine organizational principles for the state media resources’ activities which are planned to be created on the basis of TV channels “UTR” and “BTB” and Worldwide service of Ukrainian radio. To her conviction, this law should clearly adjust financial questions, management, editorial policy formation, statute approval etc. As a result, of this discussion they decided to continue their common work over the new draft law on foreign languages broadcasting,  http://komsvobslova.rada.gov.ua/komsvobslova/control/uk/publish/article?art_id=51041&cat_id=44734

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