Law Obliging All-National TV-Channels To Air 75% Of Content In Ukrainian Takes Effect

The law obliging all-national TV-channels to air at least 75% of their content in the Ukrainian language has taken effect.

The official newspaper of the Parliament of Ukraine - Holos Ukrainy - published the law on June 13, 2017, and it took effect on October 13, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

The law envisages that in the weekly volume of broadcasting time of the national television channels at least 75% of programs, news programs, and movies shall be in Ukrainian in the intervals between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. and between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Local television companies are obliged to broadcast at least 60% of content in the Ukrainian language.

The television channels shall broadcast movies and programs that are not their own product only in the Ukrainian language (other than children's programs and movies and cartoons) except for movies and programs created before August 1, 1991.

Films, movies and programs allowed for broadcasting not in Ukrainian shall be broadcasted with subtitles in Ukrainian.

A program is considered in Ukrainian if all words of anchorpersons are in Ukrainian.

The law establishes a fine of 5% of license fee for violations.

The quotas shall not apply to foreign television companies broadcasting in Ukraine, television companies broadcasting scientific and educational programs in official languages of the European Union, television and radio companies broadcasting radio programs, television companies broadcasting not in Ukrainian solely for purposes of study of foreign languages.

During the first year after the enactment of the law all programs fully or partially created by television companies are considered as made in Ukrainian.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on May 23, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the law.

On June 6, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed the law obliging all-national TV-channels to air 75% of their content in the Ukrainian language.