Aksenov said that mass media, which didn’t recognize Crimea as a part of Russia, shouldn’t work on the peninsula. The Crimean Tatar TV channel ATR was accused of extremism. Since the beginning of occupation, the TV channel “Russia 24” operates on the frequencies of the opposition channel “Chernomorka”. GTRK “Krym”, which has been a true keeper of the authority’s interests on the peninsula (of course, interests of any authority), got impressive financial injections and developed significantly, having turned into the “First Crimean” channel. Ukrainian authorities think about creating a satellite channel broadcasting in Crimea. The Russian channels (NTV+) leave Crimea. So, what happens to the TV broadcast of the peninsula? Whose TV aerial will win this dirty information war?
Six major TV channels (with round-the-clock broadcasting and large coverage area), such as FM, ATR, “ITV”, GTRK “Krym” and TRK “Chernomorskaya”, which, by the way, still had the Ukrainian broadcasting licenses as of September 1, 2014, have been operating in Crimea prior to the annexation.
It is quite easy to identify their editorial policy just by looking at the names of their owners. Thus, a formal founder of the “ITV” is a businessman Yuri Garifullin, but the mass media say that the deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea, member of the parliamentary fraction “Regions of Crimea” Alexander Melnik is a real owner of the channel. According to the documents, a founder of “FM TV” is Artem Mardoyan, but, in fact, it is controlled by his father Frunze Mardoyan, who is the Crimean businessman and the Regionnaire. An owner of “Chernomorka” is Andrey Senchenko, who is a member of the eternal opposition party in Crimea All-Ukrainian Union “Fatherland”.
Only the Crimean Tatar TV channel ATR, which is included in the media-group “Atlant-SV” owned by the Russian millionaire Lenur Islyamov, stands out from the rest. Except for a very serious national orientation (broadcasting in the Crimean Tatar language, TV programs about the Crimean Tatar culture and history, positioning of the Crimean Tatar people as a subject of the political process), its editorial policy was characterized by impartiality and consistency.
The channels are not in a hurry to re-register
When the Russian “authority” came, reregistration terms for mass media in Crimea have been extended several times and recently the final date was released – April 1, 2015.
In order to continue broadcasting, TV channels need to either re-register in accordance with the Russian standards or broadcast to the peninsula from Ukraine via a satellite or Internet-channels.
The best performer of innovations is a former GTRK “Krym” (while according to the register of the National Council, it is present). Five media channels, including the existing “First Crimean”, which was registered in the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media, were created on the basis of the Ukrainian state channel. Another example is the newly created television channel “Krym 24” that will receive license to broadcast on the whole territory of Russia.
The other channels are not in a hurry to follow the example of colleagues. However, it is offered not to all of them. On December 24, the “prime-minister” of Crimea Sergey Aksenov made a statement that the mass media, which don’t recognize the occupation regime and the annexation as legal actions, shouldn’t work on the Crimean peninsula. Aksenov called these media the “hostile” ones. Three months earlier, ATR that was the only TV channel on the peninsula broadcasting in the Crimean Tatar language was accused of extremism: it is said that channel directors changed the direction of information content, which “keeps on giving a thought about possible repressions based on nationality and religion”, on purpose.
However, later the Crimean “authorities” originally marked the channel at the annual competition, 
where it received a prize “For contribution to the development of freedom of speech” from the “prime-minister” of Crimea Sergey Aksenov. The Director General of the channel Lilya Budzurova commented this event for the web-based media depo.ua in such a way: “Having decided that “we will not leave. We will stay in Crimea and with the Crimean Tatar people”, ATR should continue to be a professional TV channel, that is to deal with everyone: both with the government and its opposition.” Refat Chubarov, who is known as a channel shareholder (one theory is that Chubarov owns 4% of the shares and another one – 1%), still didn’t give his opinion about this question.
The channel “Russia 24” suddenly started to broadcast on frequencies of “Chernomorka” since March 3, 2014, later all equipment was confiscated and the work of the TRK was paralyzed. There was just the Kiev office operating, where some journalists moved and continued a broadcasting satellite service on the basis of the channel “Sotsialna Krayina”. Then all equipment that, in fact, was broken was returned but the company can work in Crimea no longer. Well, just recently, on December 24, 2014, the channel’s license had been revoked… by the Ukrainian authorities. However, the overhyped by mass media scandal related to this event was a bit exaggerated.
As the TV channel producer Alexander Yankovskiy told to the online media “Pod pricelom”, problems with one of the licenses for three frequencies (the coverage of localities Novaya Petrovka, Sovetskoe and Chernomorskoe) began in 2011, when the National Council put it out to tender.
“We had two licenses for terrestrial broadcasting in Crimea. One license was for 17 frequencies (transmitters) and another one – for 3 frequencies (transmitters). We were deprived of this license for 3 frequencies in 2012. It was put out to tender. The Chernomorskaya TRK put this tender in issue. We were supposed to extend this license automatically. So, it was extended (“issued”) after the court decision in July 2014. We had to pay about 19 thousand UAH for its issuance although the court decision said about its renewal. But the renewal costs little as compared to its issuance. We failed to pay within one month and we were deprived of this license for three transmitters in Crimea,” Yankovskiy explained.
At the same time, the license for 17 transmitters is still valid but the TV channel can’t use it. The decision of the National Council looks strange, to say the least, in this context, considering the fact that the GTRK, FM, ATR and “ITV” continue to broadcast on the occupied territory without any, even formal, sanctions.
A new Crimean TV channel. Why?
The Ukrainian authorities, namely the newly created Ministry of Information Policy headed by Yuri Stec, suggested to begin processing the satellite broadcasting for the Crimean peninsula.
The adviser to the Interior Minister Anton Gerashchenko said on his Facebook page: “Further, the Ministry of Information Policy will work on creating a technical capability for satellite broadcasting in Crimea, the Russian Federation and the whole world to tell the truth about events in Ukraine, show a high-quality government television product developed by the best independent journalists only for propaganda and counterpropaganda of the Ukrainian truth, Ukrainian view of events happening in Ukraine and abroad.”
In response to statements made by Yuri Stec and announced by Anton Gerashchenko, “the minister of internal policy, information and communication” of Crimea Dmitry Polonsky said in a comment for the “Russian news media”: “The Kiev authority may have virtually any wishes but they have no opportunities. Today Ukraine is a poor country. People live in cold apartments, there is no money to pay pensions and there is a civil war on in the country. Financial resources should be used for restoring order in the country and in the economic area and only then for launching a satellite.” He also added that Crimea is not afraid of the Ukrainian propaganda because it will look as ridiculous as the policy conducted by Kiev authorities.
The deputy director of the National Television Company of Ukraine Alexander Liev also confirmed the idea of creating a satellite broadcast for Crimea to the website “Pod pricelom”. In addition, he assured that the informational product for Crimea and about Crimea will be created on the existing “First National” channel as well:
“Plans call for creating programs about the state of affairs in Crimea. Such programs are necessary not only for Crimea and Crimeans but also for the whole Ukraine. But the creation of a separate channel is discussed in the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and Presidential Administration. The question is about a technical capability to deliver a signal to the peninsula and it is not easily and cheap because Russia dampens our channels. There is also an idea to create this channel for Crimea on the basis of the satellite channel Pershyi-Ukraine among other ideas. But we don’t have any solutions yet.”
Plans of the Ministry of Information seem to be very vague for two reasons. Firstly, the Ukrainian TV channels are available both on satellite and cable broadcasting in Crimea. As the Crimean Daria Valueva told to “Pod pricelom”, the broadcasting situation on the peninsula is definitely positive. In spite of the fact that their broadcasting was virtually stopped last March, today the situation is improved: “As far as I know, one of the Crimean television channels was replaced with the “Russia 24” a few months ago. Now a cable-television network that I use doesn’t include any Crimean channels at all. The Russian television is represented with four or five channels (“Russia-1”, “Russia-24”, “Pervui”, “Ren-TV”), while there are much more Ukrainian channels (for example, “1+1”, “Novuy”, “Inter”, “Ukraine”, “TET”, “STB”).”
Secondly, according to the evidence of the Crimeans, a satellite signal of the long-suffering “Chernomorka” reaches Crimea. In addition, as the Crimean, candidate of historical sciences and member of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance Sergey Gromenko thinks, the creation of a new TV channel for the Crimeans is an unalloyed split-up of the budget:
“The creation of a new TV channel is a split-up of the budget because a satellite channel broadcasting for Crimea already exists. It is called “Chernomorka”. Now they go on the air on the basis of the channel “Sotsialna Krayina” via a satellite. This is the first aspect. Secondly, presenters and producers dealing with this topic on the “Chernomorka” come from Crimea and know this situation much better than any other journalists. That’s why, there is no need to create something new, now it would be great to keep something already existing.”
Ukraine spent about 450 thousand hrivnas for financing of public television and radio in Crimea in 2013. It was planned to spend 425.5 thousand in 2014 but nobody knows how much it was allocated before the annexation. At this stage, the creation of a specialized informational channel for Crimea will require considerable funds. But not only officials come up with such ideas.
Recently, the Presidential Commissioner on Crimean Tatar Affairs, the MP Mustafa Dzhemilev said that he was ready to give the money he was awarded in Poland (it is about 500 thousand UAH) to create the Crimean Tatar Information Center.
“It is a very important issue because peninsulars are vulnerable to manipulations of the Russian propaganda and suffer a heavy informational pressure because of a lack of alternative unbiased information,” Dzhemilev said.
According to the leader of the Crimean Tatars, the President of Ukraine Petr Poroshenko has already announced about the possibility to provide a part of on-air broadcasting of one of the Ukrainian TV channels for regular broadcasting of such an information center.
Today, we can’t say that Crimea is in a complete information blockade. In addition to the remaining in Crimea tough ATR and the working from Kiev “Chernomorka”, there is a signal of the Ukrainian TV channels on the peninsula. Yes, they disappeared from the analog television but cable and satellite broadcasting that was very popular on the peninsula before the annexation continues to broadcast the Ukrainian media product. So, the only thing is what a consumer chooses for himself.
On the other hand, the war in the east is among top news of both Ukrainian and foreign mass media. The topic of the annexation of Crimea is not so popular and many Crimeans almost believe that Ukraine “forgot” about them. A specialized informational product, which would be produced by the Ukrainian press tribe not only “for internal use” but also to broadcast abroad, could solve this problem. However, neither the Ministry of Information nor the National Council has demonstrated this approach yet. The same is about a clear information policy on this issue.
