Ukraine funds controversial TV marathon amid EU criticism

In the budget adopted on 19th November, the Ukrainian government decided to continue funding the informational television marathon "United News." Despite sharp cuts in other sectors, such as culture, 1.5 billion hryvnias was allocated to the project.

This decision was met with resistance from opposition deputies, who held banners during the vote that read "Money for drones from propaganda-marathon."

"United News" is a nationwide Ukrainian informational telemarathon, launched on the first day of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The project's aim was to inform the public about the current war situation and government actions.

The content is produced by three private media holdings owned by the wealthiest oligarchs in the country: "1+1 Media" by Ihor Kolomoyskyi, "Starlight Media" by Viktor Pinchuk, and "Inter Media Group" by Dmytro Firtash.

The project has been controversial from the start. The European Commission, in its October report on the progress of candidate countries for the EU, expressed concerns about the objectivity and justification of funding "United News." Similar concerns were raised by the U.S. State Department, describing the marathon as a tool of "unprecedented control over television news."

Criticism also flows from within Ukraine. According to studies by the Zmina Human Rights Center, up to 62% of surveyed journalists view the marathon as a form of censorship. Two-thirds of respondents believe that the project should be halted and individual channels should resume independent broadcasting.

The main criticisms include one-sided information, the low quality of programmes, and a lack of transparency in selecting broadcasters.

In a conversation with the Polish Press Agency, Ukrainian commentator and television presenter Serhiy Rudenko noted that President Volodymyr Zelensky's team aimed to control the media even before the war broke out. He recalled that in November 2021 Zelensky accused the country's richest man, Rinat Akhmetov, of participating in preparations for a coup.

The Russian invasion enabled the establishment of control over the media because repelling the enemy required the consolidation of all forces, including informational ones – explains Rudenko.

Serhiy Rudenko, author of the political biography "Zelensky. Beyond the Script," emphasises that the president fully understands the media's influence on society. "As a man who owes his political success to television, Zelensky knew how important it is to win the battle for television sets in people's homes," he adds.

Additional controversy arises from the way the marathon is funded. "It's wild and unjust that channels serving oligarchs' interests are now funded from taxpayers' pockets," comments Rudenko. He points out that while these media were previously maintained by private owners, they now operate at the state's expense.

The "United News" marathon will continue despite declining viewer trust. According to a survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, within the first year and a half of the war, trust in the project fell by nearly half.

Ukraine's Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications, Mykola Tochylov, declared that the European Commission's remarks were taken into consideration, but the state plans to end support for the marathon only after the end of martial law.

Decisions regarding other media are also significant. In April 2022, the channels Espresso TV, Prijamyj, and Channel 5 were disconnected from the T2 digital broadcasting network. "United News" was launched on their frequencies. According to journalists, this decision was related to the closeness of these stations to former President Petro Poroshenko, who criticised the restriction of media freedom.

Serhiy Rudenko warns that if the marathon continues, it may be used as a tool for Zelensky's re-election in the upcoming presidential elections. "I believe that it was and will be the main goal of such a media project format," he concludes.