Restrictions lifted on Ukraine TV channel
One of Ukraine's main establishment television channels won the freedom to provide balanced coverage of the country's political crisis and beam pictures across the country of mass demonstrations over disputed election results.
In a sign that support for Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, who has claimed victory this week's presidential election, could be dwindling, journalists at 1+1 television say on management has lifted restrictions on their coverage.
Pictures of the huge demonstrations in support of opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko can now be broadcast into Mr Yanukovich's heartland in Ukraine's Russian-speaking east.
Opposition channels, which have been showing live footage of events throughout the day, have been prevented from broadcasting in the east.
"We recognise our responsibility in broadcasting biased information after being pressured by different political forces," said the journalists at 1+1, which is controlled by outgoing President Leonid Kuchma's chief-of-staff.
"From today we guarantee that any information that we broadcast will be complete and objective."
At state television, also firmly behind the Prime Minister until now, 237 journalists demanded the right to broadcast the mass protests live.
Ukraine has often come under fire for failing to ensure balanced television coverage.
Reporters complained the authorities stepped up a campaign of intimidation before the election.
Many say they received lists of what they should and should not show or write.
Pro-government television was awash during the campaign with pictures of Mr Yanukovich while his rival was shown nowhere.
Mr Kuchma survived months of protests after the headless corpse of investigative reporter Georgiy Gongadze was found in 2000.
The opposition alleged Mr Kuchma was linked to the murder, but he denied the charges.
- Reuters
