[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 16, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E378]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      CONCERNS REGARDING THE SHUTDOWN OF UKRAINE'S RADIO KONTYNENT

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                            HON. CURT WELDON

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 16, 2004

  Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I was dismayed to learn that 
on March 3, 2004, Ukrainian police shutdown Kontynent, a private radio 
station, in Kyiv, Ukraine. Four days before the Ukrainian authorities 
confiscated Kontynent's radio transmitter, the station began 
broadcasting Ukrainian-language programs by Radio Liberty. Radio Free 
Europe/Radio Liberty has played a significant role in Ukraine by 
providing several hours of Ukrainian-language programming to an average 
of six million regular listeners. RFE/RL offers comprehensive coverage 
of the internal political, economic and social situation in Ukraine. 
Such important information is not readily available to Ukrainians from 
their own domestic media.
  Mr. Borys Kholod, the head of Ukraine's National Council for Radio 
and Television, claimed that the closure of Radio Kontynent was not 
politically motivated. Instead, Mr. Kholod maintains that Radio 
Kontynent had its license revoked due to Radio Kontynent's financial 
problems. However, Radio Kontynent has been in court for the past 3 
years over the license dispute. It is my understanding that under 
Ukrainian law, action cannot be taken against the station until the 
court procedures have been completed.
  Later this year, Ukraine will elect a new president. Many Ukrainians 
are concerned that without access to an independent media outlet, the 
current campaign will not be portrayed in a balanced and objective 
manner. I believe that Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio 
Liberty is essential in this cause and I expressed that in my recent 
meeting with Ukraine's First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, 
Volodymyr Yel'chenko. He assured me that a resolution is forthcoming 
and they are currently looking for a radio station to transmit Radio 
Liberty in the interim. I expect to receive an update on this matter 
from the Ministry in the near future.

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