One of International Renaissance Foundation’s (IRF) first priorities is the involvement of independent public organizations and experts in state policy-making and primarily concerns the field of mass media.
During the past years, the Fund has launched and supported many initiatives that strengthen public influence on media policy and provide the public with access to unbiased information. The activities of the Public Council for Freedom of Expression and Information, 2002 Parliamentary Hearings “Society, Mass Media, Authorities: Freedom of Expression and Censorship in Ukraine”, formation of the Independent Media Trade Union, a Public Radio program, the development of high-quality Internet sites, active legal protection of journalists, support for the development of fair and professional journalism, mass media monitoring during the elections — these are the initiatives that in light of the recent historical changes in the society fostered the need to create independent public broadcasting — Public Television and Radio.
The IRF intends to provide its overall support to the development of Public Television as security for building an open and democratic society in Ukraine. The Fund believes that other donors will also take part in achieving these objectives.
The IRF’s fundamental standpoint is that the Fund will support initiatives that provide for shaping public broadcasting in general and Public Television in particular, as a maximally open public project.
The IRF stands ready to support collective activities for setting up respective public institutions that will become a driving force of the initiative. For example, a wide coalition of public organizations, an initiative committee, respective public and parliamentary hearings, the creation of a legitimate Board (for example, a Supervisory Board) of Public Television that will employ executive managers on a competitive basis.
This project is obviously impossible without respective decisions and activities of both the legislative and the executive branches of power. The Fund will, therefore, facilitate the overall involvement of the public concerned and independent experts in the development of perfected projects of the respective legislative and normative base of Public Television (as well as Public Radio) in Ukraine.
The shaping of open public broadcasting in the country must become one of the reliable guarantees that the practice of closed adoption of publicly important decisions by governmental authorities will finally stop.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the International Renaissance Foundation Hryhoriy Nemyrya
Executive Director of the International Renaissance Foundation Yevhen Bystrytsky
