The Crimean Human Rights Group monitored the situation with the quality of FM broadcasting in this region in early February 2021. There are issues with jamming Ukrainian FM radio signal by Russian stations in all 19 settlements in the south of the Kherson region visited by representatives of the KKE.
In particular, Russian radio can be heard in the settlements: Schastlivtseve, Heniches’ka Hirka, Heniches’k, Chonhar, Mykolayivka, Novooleksiyvka, Mayachka, Novotroyits’ke, Hromovka, Novomykolayivka, Strohanivka, Hryhorivka, Chaplynka, Myrne, Kalanchak, Oleksandrivka, Khorly, Rozdol’ne, Skadovs’k.
Jamming the Ukrainian frequencies was recorded by monitors on the Ukraine-controlled territory of Ukraine near the “CHAPLYNKA” checkpoint and “CHONHAR”.checkpoint
The Russian stations MAYAK and MORE have the largest coverage in the region. These stations, controlled by the occupation authorities of Crimea, broadcast on several Ukrainian frequencies at once. At the same time, Russian FMs jam the signal of Ukrainian stations licensed to broadcast on these frequencies in the region.
The signal of the MORE Russian radio can be heard at a frequency of 94.6 MHz in 16 settlements out of 19 inspected. In addition, this radio also broadcasts at a frequency of 90.8 MHz in five settlements from the same list.
The signal of this station is also duplicated at 104.1 MHz in 10 settlements from the monitoring list.
Radio MAYAK at a frequency of 100.9 MHz is heard in 17 settlements. This station also broadcasts at 96 MHz (in 8 out of 19 settlements) and 103.5 MHz (in 14 out of 19 settlements).
In fact, the Russian broadcasting signal in some cities and villages is powerful and of high quality. The same stations broadcast on Ukrainian frequencies here as in the occupied Crimea.
The Russian radio SPUTNIK broadcasts at 87.7 MHz in 8 settlements. The same station jams the signal of the Ukrainian radio at a frequency of 100.7 MHz in 5 settlements from the list.
The Russian radio KRYM is heard at 103.0 MHz in 10 settlements, and the Russian radio VESTI broadcasts at 105.9 MHz in the same villages.
In addition to the above stations in the south of the Kherson region, the Russian radio EUROPE PLUS and the Crimean radio VATAN SEDASY, controlled by the occupation authorities, freely broadcast on different frequencies in various settlements.
The situation is exacerbated by the fact that a high-quality Russia TV signal is also available in this region. At the same time, the quality of the mobile Internet of Ukrainian providers in some villages is poor.
Thus, the Ukrainians who live in this region do not actually have a good access to the Ukrainian information field. At the same time, Russian TV and radio broadcasters offer these people a high-quality signal of several TV and radio stations at once, coming from the occupied Crimea.
The use of hate speech, psycholinguistic manipulations and other means of influencing public opinion on the air of these media make pro-Russian content attractive to people.
The quality of the “occupation” broadcasting in the north of Crimea and the south of the Kherson region has recently significantly improved. This may be explained by commissioning a new TV & radio tower recently mounted by the occupation authorities at CHAPLYNKA checkpoint.
Such situation not only endangers the region security, but may be risky for entire Ukraine. The Ukrainian authorities should start counteracting effectively a significant information and cultural impact of the RF in the Kherson region asap.
