Yuriy Artemenko at a meeting in Zaporizhia of media representatives (photo courtesy of NRADA)
The Ukrainian media regulator has moved to ban the broadcast of Russian TV channel 365 Days and Belarusian channel Belarus 24.
On October 15, the Ukrainian National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting decided to ban the two channels. 365 Days is a Russian history channel. Belarus 24 is the state television and radio channel of Belarus.
In a briefing in Kiev, National Council head Yuriy Artemenko said the decision was based on both channels’ violating clauses of the European Convention on Transfrontier Television (full text of the Convention). Artemenko said the Council will now turn to the courts, to request an official ban of the channels across Ukraine.
The Council’s Deputy Chairman, Grygoriy Shverk, said court hearings against six Russian TV channels were currently underway in the country.
According to a statement on the Council’s website, the decision to ban Russia’s 365 Days was prompted by a complaint and by monitoring conducted by the Council. The Council specifically cited an episode of the programme History of Russia, XX Century, “On the Threshold of Victory”, broadcast by 365 Days on September 9, which it said presented false information about historical events in Ukraine, incited national hatred and had the potential to harm the development of children and adolescents.
Selective monitoring of Belarusian channel Belarus 24 also revealed anti-Ukrainian propaganda and a distortion of information on political developments in Ukraine, said the Council’s site.
Article 24 of the European Convention on Transfrontier Television provides for the settlement of disputes and alleged violations:
1 When a Party finds a violation of this Convention, it shall communicate to the transmitting Party the alleged violation and the two Parties shall endeavour to overcome the difficulty on the basis of the provisions of Articles 19, 25 and 26.
2 If the alleged violation is of a manifest, serious and grave nature which raises important public issues and concerns Articles 7, paragraphs 1 or 2, 12, 13, paragraph 1, first sentence, 14 or 15, paragraphs 1 or 3, and if it persists within two weeks following the communication, the receiving Party may suspend provisionally the retransmission of the incriminated programme service.
3 In all other cases of alleged violation, with the exception of those provided for in paragraph 4, the receiving Party may suspend provisionally the retransmission of the incriminated programme service eight months following the communication, if the alleged violation persists.