The issue of ensuring stable Ukrainian broadcasting in the temporarily occupied and border territories of Ukraine was discussed during committee hearings in the Verkhovna Rada

Information Department of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Secretariat
Published on 06 April 2021, at 11:33

On April 2, the Verkhovna Rada held joint committee hearings on the topic: "Ensuring stable Ukrainian broadcasting in the temporarily occupied and border territories of Ukraine."
The hearings was initiated by the Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy, the Committee on Human Rights, Deoccupation and Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories in Donetsk, Luhansk Regions and Autonomous Republic of Crimea, National Minorities and Interethnic Relations and the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine.
The participants of the hearings analyzed the situation with the Ukrainian broadcasting in the east of the country and the legislative settlement of the outlined problems.
Deputy Prime Minister - Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov noted that ensuring stable Ukrainian broadcasting in the temporarily occupied and border territories is one of the components of ensuring the information sovereignty of Ukraine.
Chairperson of the Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy Mykita Poturayev noted that during the years of occupation, Ukraine failed to build a system of strong protection against information warfare. "There are also significant problems with the provision of border and frontline areas with high-quality high-speed Internet, coverage of cable networks," added the Chairperson of the Committee.
Chairperson of the Committee on Human Rights, Deoccupation and Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories in Donetsk, Luhansk Regions and Autonomous Republic of Crimea, National Minorities and Interethnic Relations Dmytro Lubinets stressed that the information space is extremely important and the state has not started to effectively counteract information aggression, as the residents of these territories are deprived of the opportunity to receive free broadcasting.

Head of the National Television and Radio Broadcasting Council Olha Herasimyuk proposed the creation of a state OTT / IPTV platform, which would provide services to the population of the temporarily occupied territories and border areas. According to her, now it is important to develop mechanisms to support cable and Internet providers in the Occupied Territories in order for the population to gain access to Ukrainian channels.
Head of the Luhansk regional military-civil administration Serhiy Haidai noted that it is necessary to fundamentally change the state approach to the information and communication policy of the regions in the East of Ukraine.
Based on the results of the discussion, the "road map" of urgent legal, organizational, financial and infrastructural measures to restore Ukraine's information sovereignty in the temporarily occupied territories and provide citizens with state-guaranteed stable, free access to domestic television and radio programs of the temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine will be worked out.