At a crucial time in Ukraine’s political and economic development, this 30-month project planned and established the country’s first independent speech radio information service, broadcasting six hours a day, five days a week.
The project offered unbiased and balanced news, current affairs and information to an audience of eight million within the capital city of Kiev, against a background of a state-dominated information distribution system. The foundation assisted with preparing the service’s business plan, advised on its technical requirements and helped to establish funding to eventually make the service a self sufficient news organisation. More than 40 staff were trained and Thomson Foundation project managers launched the service with a 24-hour marathon, which examined in detail Ukraine’s political, industrial and economic future. The service played a leading role in providing independent news coverage of the election which brought the Orange Revolution to power.