National Council to inspect TV 5 Kanal on demand of AP and PGO

According to the regulator, the decision to carry out extraordinary inspections may be made by the National Council in accordance with the Instruction on the procedure of inspecting broadcasters and program service providers (Section 2, 3), registered by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.

The decision to inspect TV 5 Kanal in Cherkassy was made on basis of the statement of V.Kolomiyets, the chairman of "The Support Committee for Mykola Melnichenko" public association, which was forwarded to the National Council by the Presidential Administration, the General Prosecutor's Office, and the Prosecutor’s Office of the Cherkasy Oblast, with a demand for an appropriate response.

The statement, in particular, reads that "local broadcaster TRK “Media Center", blocking the central television channel – TV 5 Kanal, systematically, during the day, at different time intervals (often incorrectly, interrupting programs in the middle), independently broadcasts advertising units, political advertising or commercial programs."

Furthermore, the statement "Support Committee of Mykola Melnichenko" also deals with the Cherkasy ODTRK, which, in the opinion of contributors, broadcasts programs of "Ildana" TV-radio company.

"The National Council shall respond to public appeals. The mentioned-above appeal was sent to the national regulator from four different entities, with a demand of appropriate response in line with the law. To objectively analyze the situation, the National Council will carry out extraordinary inspections ", - the National Council stated.

Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Freedom of Speech and Information Mykola Tomenko claimed that the unscheduled inspection of TV 5 Kanal looks inadequate and ordered.

Former major of the State Guard Service Mykola Melnichenko says that he has no relation to the NGO "Support Committee of Mykola Melnichenko," which initiated the extraordinary inspection of the V 5 Kanal.