National council denied KRT to extend license
The National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting has refused to extend the license of the KRT TV channel (Astra-TV TV Studio LLC). The watchdog adopted such a decision at a meeting on August 20, as “Media Detektor” reported.
The grounds for this decision were warnings issued in 2005, 2006 and 2016 to the KTR, which were not revoked by the court. As to “Detektor Media”, the current KTR license was renewed in 2010, so warnings in 2005 and 2006 concerned another license. Usually, the National Council takes into account only those sanctions that concern the latest license of the company.
This decision was supported by all members of the regulator present at the meeting (Oleksander Ilyashenko was absent due to illness).
A representative of KRT did not attend the meeting. However, the TV company sent a letter saying that in compliance with the law (Law “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts Concerning State Support in the Sphere of Culture, Creative Industries, Tourism, Small and Medium Business Due to Restrictive Measures” related to the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19,) the license issues had to be considered only after the end of lockdown, which has been extended till August 31st 2020.
The company also said that it had appealed to the court contesting the regulator's previous decisions and asked to postpone considering the issue of extension of the license till the court issues its decision.
“On July 30, 2020, the members of the National Council held a meeting at which, in violation of the law of order, a number of decisions were actually made regarding the company to reissue and extend the license. In this regard, we have filed a lawsuit in the District Administrative Court of Kyiv, "- they said.
However, members of the National Council noted that the licensee was notified of the meeting. Executive secretary of the National Council Yuriy Zinevych noted that the licensee deliberately refused to attend it.
“We made the broadcaster aware that his question would be heard, he had all the opportunities and rights to defend his position directly at the meeting. Unfortunately, he did not use it, ”added Olga Gerasimyuk, head of the National Council
As IMI reported, on July 30, the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting was to undertake an unscheduled inspection of the KRT TV channel (Astra-TV TV Studio, Kyiv) due to signs of hate speech and discrimination.
Also, the National Council did not support the project to extend the channel's license and had to return to the issue later.
On July 2, the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting planned an unscheduled inspection of the KRT TV channel (ASTRA-TV Television Studio, Kyiv) for airing the fragments of the World War II victory parade in Moscow.
On June 18, the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting ordered an unscheduled inspection of the KRT TV channel (Astra-TV Television Studio, Kyiv) due to a song by Russian singer Lev Leshchenko, who is included in the List of Persons Threatening National Security and the absence of a minute of silence the commemorative days.
On June 4, the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting ordered an unscheduled inspection of the KRT TV channel (Astra-TV Television Studio, Kyiv) due to the May 9 broadcast of the Victory Parade in Minsk.
On April 23, the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting ordered an unscheduled inspection of the KRT TV channel (Astra-TV Television Studio, Kyiv) through the broadcast of Prime Analyst and TBU programs, which spread some statements with signs of war propaganda and incitement to hostility and encroachment on human rights and freedoms.
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