Arseniy Yatsenyuk: The Government is ready to start immediately implementing the law on public television and radio

The process of creating public television and radio broadcasting is a real action, so that Ukraine instead of an out-dated form of television has a new updated public broadcasting, Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk said this at an international conference "From State to Public Broadcasting" in Kyiv, on Tuesday, July 1.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk said that this draft law on public television and radio "has been discussed not just for years, but for decades, but there was any successful vote": "The fact that the Government, together with the Parliament decided to adopt this law, and finally start the process of creating public TV is a real action - so that Ukraine instead of an out-dated form of television has a new updated public television, which will tell the truth."

"The truth, first and foremost, is necessary for millions of Ukrainians, especially in these difficult times, when Ukraine is in a state of real war: a military, economic, undeclared, and, particularly effective, informational war," he said.

According to the PM, often information war has a much more powerful influence "both within and outside Ukraine, when the eastern neighbors say that white is black, and when 80-year-old propaganda seems to be nothing compared with what the channels of the neighboring state show”:"In these times there is a real need for true and fair information."

Arseniy Yatsenyuk underlined that public broadcasting is being created on the basis of more than thirty entities: "In this way, after the law adoption we all have a lot of technical problems with its implementation."

In particular, he focused on the creation of the Supervisory Board of public television. Arseniy Yatsenyuk appealed to civil society to take an active part in the formation of the Supervisory Board of public television and in accordance with law through conferences to provide representatives to the Supervisory Board, noting that there is a need to regulate criteria, quality features and procedures of convening conferences. "However, we have such an opportunity today. Thus, we should use it", stressed Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

He said that after studying the public opinion concluded that the only correct form of the creation of public television and radio is the creation of a new legal entity - a public company: "On the basis of this new legal entity – an injection of human, material and technical resources and the formation of an upgrading television company that should really reflect the highest standards of public service broadcasting in Ukraine."

The Prime Minister reminded that the law provides funding for National Public Television at the expense of the state budget. However, it has been discussed the need to introduce subscription fees for citizens. "Let us first take the first step - to create a legal entity, appoint the Supervisory Board. Funding from the state budget - it is also indirect financing by people because the budget is financed by taxes, and taxes are paid by people. If there is a necessity and feasibility of introducing an additional direct payment for public television – we will consult and take an appropriate decision," said Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

The Prime Minister reiterated the importance of creating public television in times when we need to "raise the spirit of people, to concentrate energy, so that every Ukrainian believed in the victory of the country, was confident that we are going the right way", "so that public television prompted the government where to go, reflected the public interests and met its demands."

Arseniy Yatsenyuk stressed that the Government of Ukraine is ready to start immediately implementing the law on public television and radio: "If it’s needed any help from the Government, including amendments to this law, the formation of a public company that is the direct responsibility of the Cabinet of Ministers - we will consistently go further, so that Ukraine has our common television- television of the Ukrainian society.”