“Ukraine could have ten national television channels, rather than three,” Valery Yurchenko, president of RRT Concern, declared addressing a regular meeting of the Ukrainian Media Association’s Press Club. There could be 30 regional channels, because modern digital equipment makes it possible to transmit 5-8 programs on the same frequency.
Using such equipment in Ukraine, along with communications satellites and other telecommunications, would give this country a chance to raise its television to a higher level. But in the first place this calls for better financing. Considering that the Ukrainian government owes RRT (responsible for the relay of TV and radio signals) over UAH 110 million (National Television Company of Ukraine: over UAH 64 million), the only way to keep this sector alive and eventually develop it is by issuing shares in RRT, Mr. Yurchenko believes. In fact, the concern has prepared a bill stipulating that the government will retain the controlling interest while possibly attracting foreign investment.
On is reminded of an open session of the RRT board held over a month ago (Den’, April 14, not translated in this digest). Oleksandr Zinchenko, chairman of the sector parliamentary committee, honorary president of Inter, read out the bill, but the document had it that RRT would be subordinated to the State Property Fund and reorganized as the open joint stock company, the RRT Concern, with the government holding 100% interest. At the time The Day’s reporter asked whether, after issuing stock, part ownership in this entity of such importance from the standpoint of national security could pass into private hands. Mr. Zinchenko replied he does not “consider this situation dangerous, because a two-stage system is possible whereby the stock company will be government-controlled while certain affiliated enterprises will be in a position to attract private capital.” Now, it looks like the architects of RRT corporatization are confirming their intent to transfer some of the stock to private, even foreign investors.
