According to the director of the National Radio Company of Ukraine (NRCU) Anatolyi Tabachenko, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine cut 3 million UAH in NRCU funding, which prevents Ukrainian radio to operate in the previous capacity. Management of the NRCU decided to disable the transmitters on medium, ultrashort and FM waves, not to create a debt towards BRT Concern for distribution of programs. Accordingly, the programs of the first NRCU channel are disabled everywhere except regional centers, programs “UR-2” and “UR-3” are active only in Kyiv. And STRC regional air is periodically interrupted for long periods of silence.
Management of the NRCU did not inform the National Council and the Ministry of Information policy of Ukraine on this decision and the situation became known to these authorities only after the fact of disconnection.
Shutting off transmitters of Ukrainian radio happened almost the first time in many years of activity of the oldest Ukrainian broadcaster. This situation at the time of actual war and on the eve of local elections is simply catastrophic.
Minister of Information Policy of Ukraine Yurii Stets: “The situation of disabling Ukrainian radio in several regions of the country is simply unacceptable, because it poses a threat to information security of the state. At the next meeting of the Government, I will submit resolution on the restoration of funding that will resume broadcasting throughout the country”.
The National Council and the Ministry of Information Policy of Ukraine appeal to the State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting Structural Organization, to which the state broadcaster is subordinate to, and the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine to take all possible actions to Ukrainian radio broadcasting was immediately restored in the previous capacity.