All mass media founders will be obliged to submit information on their
sources of financing if a bill recently submitted to Parliament by the
Cabinet of Ministers becomes law. Last Wednesday Secretary of the National
Defense and Security Council Volodymyr Horbulin commented the document.
Contrary to all the ruling circle's wishes, there still are some mass
media that do not support the President. Until now the fight against them
and their founders was conducted on an amateur level - some would turn
out to be sex maniacs, while others would be called to account for injuring
the honor and dignity of the Presidential Chief of Staff, ministers, and
regular presidential aides. If it came out from whom and where such miscreants
get their financing, they would be able to launch a conveyor belt to ruin
the opposition mass media. Perhaps, this is also declared and accepted
in the West, but there are totally different means of political struggle
there. Volodymyr Horbulin said when commenting the draft law, "I see no
violation of human rights here... Money is laundered and then invested
into the mass media, a sector that can pay this money back very quickly
(it would be interesting to find some examples -Ed.). If a person
really wants to found a newspaper or receive a license to broadcast on
television or radio, then why can't he register his money legally?"
If the honored secretary of the NDSC is so well-informed about the situation
on the information market, it could be interesting to hear his comments
about why well-known information magnate Vadym Rabinovych broke off all
relations with the 1+1 channel. As we know, channel management announced
through friendly newspapers that they also had severed relations with advertising
structures close to Rabinovych. Horbulin, who has never been considered
a close friend of Rabinovych, refused comment: "I think, it is important
that this channel works as an independent creative structure - then there
will be no questions to me." But there still are some, and they were not
answered.







