The Marathon and the Missing Channels: Where Things Stand
Mykyta Poturaiev, head of the Verkhovna Rada's Humanitarian and Information Policy Committee, spoke about the current state of Ukraine's national telemarathon during an appearance on "Rendezvous with Yanina Sokolova." He said he has no issue with the marathon itself. Instead, his question is why 5 Kanal, Pryamiy, and Espreso have not yet been restored to the T2 broadcast standard. Poturaiev also emphasized that the marathon is not a state-run project and that neither the Presidential Office, the Verkhovna Rada, nor the Cabinet of Ministers is in charge of it.
Digital broadcast access for the three channels has been halted since April 4, 2022. At present, 5 Kanal can only be seen via satellite, on YouTube, or through cable operators, with no digital terrestrial presence. The Rada channel, which participates in the national marathon, now broadcasts on the frequency once assigned to 5 Kanal.
Court Case and Reaction
In court, 5 Kanal sought a ruling that the Cabinet of Ministers, the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection, and the RRT Concern had acted unlawfully by doing nothing. The Kyiv District Administrative Court ruled against the channel. Proceedings stretched over more than three years and were postponed several times. According to the channel's legal team, the defendants never provided a clear explanation of the legal reasoning behind taking 5 Kanal off the digital signal.
"I have no questions about the marathon. My question is why we still haven't returned 5 Kanal, Pryamiy and Espreso to the air in T2," Poturaiev said.
He went on to say that he does not believe the return of these channels would fundamentally change the political situation. "The marathon is not a state project. You may laugh now, but I know for sure that no one from the Office runs it. Or from the Verkhovna Rada, or from the Cabinet. No one runs it," he said.
With the situation still unresolved, the audience and media professionals continue to watch for any progress. The absence of clear official answers about why the channels were taken off the air has created concern. Many think that bringing 5 Kanal, Pryamiy, and Espreso back to the digital signal would strengthen Ukraine's media diversity, especially at a time when access to different viewpoints matters most.