Organizational and Legal Formation of Local Public Audiovisual Media in Ukraine

Abstract

The diversity of media means not only a variety of content and multiplicity of media owners, but also a variety of types of media. Together with the traditional models of public service and private commercial broadcasting, the community media emerged as the “third level” of media development, which contributed to strengthening the freedom of speech. This article examines the organizational and legal aspects of formation of local public audiovisual media in Ukraine, their compliance with the standards and principles of media legislation of European countries, and provides the examples of development of local public broadcasting in the world practice. In addition, the international standards for community broadcasting, on which legislative and regulatory bodies rely, are analyzed. The objective of the study is to analyze, to systematize and to generalize the basic legislative norms for formation of audiovisual media communities in Ukraine as a separate media institution along with public, commercial broadcasting and broadcasting abroad. The bibliographic method was used to study and to analyze the legislative documents. With the help of the systemic method, the community broadcasting as an integral system mass media was considered. The comparative method was used to compare the legislative regulation of activities of media communities, recommended by the Council of Europe and represented in the legislation of Ukraine. The article outlines the main provisions of the draft Law of Ukraine “On Media” No. 2693-d. Comparing the Ukrainian legislative initiatives with the European experience, the suggestions and proposals for improving the financing system and the program policy of community broadcasting in Ukraine are presented.