So why was the talk show cancelled?

Verkhovna Rada Vice Speaker sees no legitimate grounds for the cancellation of “Toloka”

Mykola Tomenko intends to initiate a review of this issue in the Verkhovna Rada. “I think that the Committee on Freedom of Speech and Information will invite the management of the First National Television Channel (UT-1). It would be ideal if this issue was reviewed today and I will seek to ensure that the Committee then informs the Verkhovna Rada.

The author and presenter of “Toloka”, Viktor Pavlyuk believes that the cancellation of his program is censorship. He says that there had not been any criticism before addressed at either him or her team.

On the other hand, the television channel says that the program was cancelled because of low quality not in keeping with the channel’s standards.

“The low ratings, poor Ukrainian of the presenter and the bias on some programs were serious failings of the project which had been commented upon on many occasions in the Ukrainian media”, a press release from the channel’s press service states.

Viktor Yushchenko doubts that the cancellation of the program can be called censorship.

He referred to the position of UT-1 that no pressure had been placed on them to cancel the program. According to the information the President had, one of the programs had been “rigged”.

It was previously reported that during the last broadcast of “Toloka” the telephone line which people were supposed to ring to express support for the ruling coalition was blocked which made the results of the television survey heavily tipped in the opposition’s favour. President Yushchenko said that judging from the information provided by the channel, the decision to cancel the program could be seen as justified.