Russia calls on Ukraine to refrain from the practice of removing Russian television channels from the Ukrainian information space.
Ukrainian News learned this from the press service of the Russian Embassy in Ukraine.
«Russia is urging Ukraine to refrain from unilateral practice of removing Russian television channels from information space and discuss all disputable points of air content through bilateral consultation,» the report reads.
The embassy is concerned over the policy of excluding Russian television channels from the line-up of the regional cable television operators in Ukraine.
«Under the pretext of brining Ukraine’s information space in line with requirements of Ukrainian law, a big campaign of ousting Russian channels from television is in fact taking place in Ukraine,» the report reads.
The embassy stressed that actions like these are in conflict with clause 1 of the agreement of cooperation in television and radio broadcasting concluded between the Russian government and the Cabinet of Ministers on October 23, 2000.
The press service added that the embassy is receiving complaints from residents in Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernihiv, Zaporizhia and other regions about disconnection of Russian channels.
The Russian Embassy has sent a corresponding note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
As Ukrainian News earlier reported, the Party of Regions considers unconstitutional the decision of the National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting to ban providers from broadcasting programs if they are not adjusted to Ukrainian law.
The National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting said it thought about protecting consumers rights when it introduced a procedure for licensing television programs in Ukraine, under which the majority of programs need to be adjusted to Ukrainian law.
