The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) treats the decision of the National TV and Radio Council to deprive 112 Ukraine TV channel of the license for the digital broadcasting as the attempt to restrict the freedom of speech in Ukraine and impose censorship as Union’s Head Serhiy Tomilenko reported on Facebook.
The NUJU expressed concern over such decision of the council and noted that it jeopardized the hundreds of workplaces of the journalists and employees of the TV channel.
“The position of the National Council toward 112 is biased because a number of Ukrainian channels was created by the consolidation of regional licenses. For example, 5 Channel consisted of NBM regional network and Ekspress-inform. I do not understand why the similar decision is not allowed for 112, which is asking for it since 2018,” Tomilenko wrote.
The NUJU treats the current decision of the National Council as an attempt to restrict the freedom of speech in Ukraine and impose censorship.
“Because 112 TV channel is the leader of news broadcasting. It criticizes authority often and provides the possibility to the critics of the authority to deliver their position. Too bad that in modern Ukraine TV channels are deprived of the license and large audience of access to mass media it likes,” the message said.
Tomilenko added that the NUJU expects “not oppression decisions against TV channels” from the National Council but the report on the numerous claims against the work of the National Council itself. Besides, the random attention of the regulator to the particular TV channels is also should be explained.
Moreover, the NUJU intends to inform the international partners about the situation with the licenses of 112 Ukraine and the state of freedom of speech in the country in general.
On September 26, the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting revoked digital broadcasting licenses from 112 Ukraine TV Channel.
The International Editorial Board of 112 Ukraine considered the decision of the regulator to be biased and politically motivated, which cause further pressure on the rights of the journalists and restriction of the freedom of speech in Ukraine.
