European Commission has raised concerns with Ukraine regarding continued funding of telethon – draft report
The European Commission has raised concerns with Ukraine regarding the continued funding in 2026 of the national telethon ‘Yedyni Novyny’, despite a decline in trust and viewership.
This was reported by "Radio Svoboda", citing the September draft of the European Commission’s annual report on Ukraine’s progress towards EU membership, according to Censor.NET.
Criticism of the telethon
It is noted that the official presentation of the assessment is currently scheduled for late October, so the document may still be subject to change. At the same time, in the draft version seen by journalists, the European Commission stated that Ukraine had not revised its approaches to media funding.
In the section on freedom of expression and the media, Brussels notes that in 2026, state funding for the national telethon ‘Yedyni Novyny’ continued, ‘despite a decline in trust and reach’.
Underfunding of "Suspilne" and the National Council
Brussels also highlighted that Suspilne, which the European Commission assesses as operating independently, growing its audience and providing balanced coverage of events, receives less state funding than required by law.
According to Radio Free Europe, the EU recommends that Ukraine ensure adequate funding for the broadcaster whilst also guaranteeing that the content of state-funded media reflects political and social pluralism.
The draft report also states that the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting is underfunded and therefore lacks the resources to fulfil its mandate.
Protecting journalists from pressure and SLAPP lawsuits
The draft report also addresses instances of pressure on media representatives in Ukraine. In particular, it mentions that in 2026, two cases of SLAPP lawsuits (strategic lawsuits against public participation) were recorded, and a parliamentary working group prepared an anti-SLAPP package. Brussels calls for prompt, independent and effective investigations into both direct intimidation and indirect forms of pressure on journalists and the media.
- ‘Radio Svoboda’ notes that the European Commission has raised the issue of state funding for the telethon in previous reports as well: in 2024, it questioned whether the telethon was the best platform for exchanging different views, and in 2025, it called for a review of the need for it as a state-funded format, at the latest by the end of martial law.
Background
It was previously reported that the authorities had decided to allocate a further 100 million hryvnias to fund the telethon.
