Media Union demands dismissal of TV Crimea Acting Head

18.06.12

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The Independent Media Union of Ukraine has demanded the immediate dismissal of the Acting General Director of the channel Valery Humenyuk saying that he is entirely unsuited for his position given the measures of censorship and police methods he has imposed on the editorial team.

This follows the removal from a programme in the Crimean Tatar language on the State-owned TV Channel “Krym” [Crimea]. As reported, the scandal broke out after Shevket Ganiev, the Editor and presenter on Crimean Tatar programmes, reported that a repeat of the programme “Khaberler”, news in the Crimean Tatar language, had been removed from air on 7 June because it didn’t give coverage to the President. He asserted that Humenyuk had said that it was being taken off the air because it didn’t make any mention of President Yanukovych, and that he had earlier threatened to take measures if there wasn’t enough about Yanukovych

The Union expresses its outrage over what it considers to be political censorship. It says that it has established that the claims that the programme was removed because of technical problems have no substance.

It also points out the Mr Humenyuk has a specific attitude to relations with editorial teams. In April he introduced personal numbers for each member of the team, like in a prison or the army. When they go past the security guard, the staff members have to give their number each time, not their name.

The statement suggests that this could be linked with the fact that Humenyuk has no experience of work with journalist teams. He was previously the head of a migration service office in the Kherson region, and his present appointment, the Union has understood, was because the planned post he was to occupy didn’t work out. It suggests that post was as head of the communal enterprise responsible for removal of rubbish.

“Mr Humenyuk’s lack of experience of television management and of the relevant higher education is in breach of the qualification requirements for the position of General Director of a State television channel”.

The Union therefore demands that the State Department for Television and Radio Broadcasting carry out an official investigation and bring those responsible to answer, informing the public about the circumstances and the people involved in Mr Humenyuk’s appointment as Acting Director of the State TV Channel “Crimea”

From the statement on the Media Union’s website here