Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has signed an order that forces the combination of all national TV channels into one platform, citing the importance of a “unified information policy” under martial law.
Reuters reported that this move comes as Ukraine is currently in the midst of a state of emergency due to Russia’s ongoing military attack on the country.
“Ukrainian privately owned media channels have hitherto continued to operate since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24,” the outlet reported, adding that it wasn’t yet known when this rule would start to be enforced.
Ukraine has four main public broadcasting channels, UA:First, UA:Culture, UA:Regional, and Rada TV.
The move follows several changes to the media landscape that have come about as a result of the ongoing Russian invasion. Many countries have blocked Russian-state affiliated outlets such as Russia Today and Sputnik.
In February 2021, President Zelensky revoked the license to a handful of pro-Russian channels ZIK, NewsOne, and 112 Ukraine.
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