During the meeting, the participants of the meeting have agreed on the future steps of implementation of the Law of Ukraine On Reforming State and Municipal Print Mass Media.

19 January the representatives of the Reanimation Package of Reform (RPR) Media-Reform group have met with the Head of the State Committee of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine (the State Committee), Oleh Nalyvaiko. Media Law Institute was the initiator of the meeting.

Among the participants of the meeting were Taras Shevchenko, Vita Volodovska, Igor Rozkladaj, Halyna Chyzhyk (NGO “Media Law Institute”), Svitlana Ostapa (NGO “Telekritika”), and Maksym Ratushnyi (NGO “Institute of Mass Information”).

The participants discussed the problematic rhetoric and weaknesses of the implementation process of the law On Reforming State and Municipal Print Mass Media. Furthermore, the actors agreed on the future steps of the law introduction.

Taras Shevchenko pointed out that the law does not set the final date to appeal to the State Committee for those print mass media that wish to participate in the first stage of reformation. The media expert suggested to establish 1 April 2016 as such a date in order to prevent delays in the reformation process and to finish the first stage of reformation by 31 December 2016.

Among other problematic questions that the media – experts and the Head of the State Committee discussed were:

• the peculiarities of reforming print mass media founded by central public bodies;
• the decision-making procedures of reforming print mass media founded simultaneously by public bodies and local government authorities;
• how to resolve disputes concerning the reforming of print mass media, which appear between workforce editorial and founder (co-founders) of print media.

 

The meeting resulted in defining the next steps, among which was to arrange a joint meeting of the representatives of the RPR Media – Reform group and the State Committee with the representatives of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine regarding the first stage of reforming process.

The Law of Ukraine On Reforming State and Municipal Print Mass Media was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on 24 December 2015 after it being returned with the President’s proposed amendments. 29 December 2015 the President of Ukraine signed the law and on 1 January 2016 the law entered into force. The Law foresees the reformation of print mass media founded by state and municipal government authorities and other public bodies.