Ukrainian National Council official: There is a 'broadcasting duel' between Russia and Ukraine on the administrative border with the Crimea
A duel is being fought on the administrative border with the Russian-annexed Crimea between radio stations broadcasting from mainland Ukraine and those broadcasting from the peninsula, as explained by a member of the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine, Serhiy Kostynsky, to Krym.Realii.
"And it is we who set the rules. It can be seen from their initiatives, that the Crimean authorities do not have enough resources. And all that they can do is install transmitters," he added.
In particular, broadcasts from the Crimean Krasnoperekopsk and Dzhankoy regions cover part of the Kherson region. "On our end, we have already constructed the first tower in Chongar and are improving the tower in Chaplynka. This will allow us to expand broadcasting throughout the Crimea. We can broadcast to a larger territory in the Crimea than they can in the Kherson region, because we have more powerful transmitters and a tower located on the administrative border," Kostynsky noted.
According to him, within a year Ukraine will try to solve the problem of broadcasting from the peninsula to the Kherson region. "The law on special broadcast conditions will help us to do it," said the member of the state regulator.
In January, the construction of a radio/TV-transmitting station was completed in Chongar, in the Kherson region. It was carried out as part of the Broadcasting Development Strategy in the Kherson region and the re-organization plan to broadcast to the Crimea in 2016 – 2017. In early February, Ukrainian Radio (100.7 MHz) and Meydan Radio (frequencies 101.4 and 90.8 MHz) became the first Ukrainian radio stations to reach the Crimea.
At the same time, a public Crimean Tatar radio station, Vetan Sedasy (Voice of the Motherland), began broadcasting in the Crimea in early February. The station discusses the traditions and identity of the Crimean Tatar people, as well as their "bright tomorrow as part of the Russian family of peoples."