“Opposition platform” blamed National public TV and radio company for censorship

The “Opposition platform –for life” demanded the National public television and radio company (NPTVRC) to stop political censorship and to air the advertisement of the candidate for the presidency Yuriy Boyko, as to Detektor Media. In oppositional party they said the advertisement had not been not aired due to the phrase: “the president grew ten times richer and Ukrainian retirees got poorer half as much”. “In the course of negotiation the officials of the TV channel suggested to cut off such phrases or replace it, as, on their opinion, this information is not truthful, notwithstanding the proofs they provided with to back it. The officials of the TV channel refused to pick up the official letter with the demand to air the advertisement at the post office. Comparing the tax declaration signed by the head of state at the beginning of 2018 and 2019 testified his income increased 82 times”, they said in the letter. The opposition party considered this was a censorship, but “UA:Pershyy” calls oneself “public” one and get funds at the account of Ukrainian citizens, in fact, it does serve to the interests of authorities”, they added. The National public television and radio company replied this was untruthful information and manipulation. “This assertion does not correspond to the real facts and is absolutely untruthful”. “Thus, in several advertisements videos along with flags of this political force there is a flag of Ukraine and in conformity to the Article 8 of Ukraine “On advertisement”, use of state symbols is forbidden in the advertisement. Another reel provided manipulative information on ten times enrichment of the head of state. This information could be considered as diffusing of designedly untruthful information on a candidadte for the presidency, what is directly forbidden by the article 64, paragraph 5 of the Law “On election of the President of Ukraine”, as to the repky of the National public television and radio company. As to the public TV this is an attempt to discredit the public broadcaster.