Ukraine is planning to merge its national TV and radio companies with a state television and radio company to create a true national public service broadcaster, according to a draft law prepared by the government.

Public Service Broadcasting of Ukraine (PSBU) will combine the EBU's two members in Ukraine – National Television Company of Ukraine (NTU) and the National Radio Company of Ukraine (NRU) – with the State Television and Radio Company Kultura, according to the draft law. (Click here for full text).

According to Article 1 of the draft text, PSBU will be created "to meet the information needs of society, to engage citizens to discuss and address critical social and political issues and to promote the establishing of civil society".

Its operational principles will include:

• Comprehensive, objective information for the public
• Adherence to social norms, traditions and culture of Ukrainian people
• Clear separation of facts from comments and evaluations
• Free expression of views, opinions and beliefs
• Independence from state and local authorities, and their officials, enterprises, institutions, organizations and individuals
• Public participation in managing and forming the programme policy.

Originally due to come into force on 1 January 2013, the law was delayed by parliamentary elections in October. The new parliament assembled just one week ago, and it is unclear when the law will be put for approval.

Last month NTU Director General Yegor Benkendorf told the monthly magazine Expert why Ukraine needed a public service broadcaster when it had managed without one in the past.

Mr Benkendorf said that public service broadcasting was the best way to ensure freedom of speech, and that it could "raise the intellectual level of Ukrainian citizens" in a heavily commercial media market.

"This will take place through the production and broadcast of programmes that the vast majority of commercial channels do not care about, namely cultural, educational, historical ones," he said. "Add to this list programmes for national minorities, certain social and religious groups, etc. Every citizen of our country shall benefit from the resultant consolidation of Ukrainian society and strengthening of its intellectual level."

Asked how the new broadcaster should be funded, Mr Benkendorf recommended it be given 10% of the advertising revenue of Ukraine's commercial broadcasters, rather than be forced to rely on a licence fee, government grant or percentage of the national budget. 

With the TV advertising market in Ukraine worth more than $3bn a year, this would imply an annual budget of over $300 million for PSBU. Mr Benkendorf said revenue of this order would ensure the financial independence of the broadcaster and the production of quality programming.

The full text of Mr Benkendorf's interview is available here.