Vice-President Claudio Cappon has offered the EBU's help in assisting Natsionalna Telekompanya Ukrainy (NTU) and Natsionala Radiokompanya Ukrainy (NRU), the Union's two Members in Ukraine, in transforming themselves from state broadcasters into public service broadcasters according to European standards.

Mr Cappon was in Kiev to discuss the Union's special assistance programme, including NTU's use of the "Solidarity Programme Package" and opportunities for digitizing NTU's production facilities, with the leadership of NTU. He also paid a visit to Taras Avrakhov, Director General of NRU since mid-2010.

The Ukrainian government is currently preparing legislation to merge NTU and NRU as part of a declared wish to transform the country's state broadcasters into true public service media.

Mr Cappon, accompanied by Head of Member Relations and Special Assistance David Lewis, answered questions on this subject posed in a meeting with NTU's deputy legal director Eugene Butsan and Juri Ivaschenko from the office of Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych.

Mr Cappon passed on a model media law drawn up by former EBU Legal Director Werner Rumphorst, together with recommendations from the Council of Europe, and said the Union would be happy to follow up further requests for assistance in this area.