VOA Ukrainian to Launch “Prime Time with Myroslava Gongadze”
WASHINGTON, D.C.—— On Thursday, September 10, 2015, VOA’s Ukrainian Service will launch the weekly interview program Prime Time with Myroslava Gongadze on First National TV – Ukraine’s highly respected public broadcaster.Hosted by veteran anchor Myroslava Gongadze, who also co-hosted Ukraine’s 2014 parliamentary election debates on First National TV, Prime Time will further VOA’s formidable impact in the Ukrainian television market. “This partnership with First National TV demonstrates VOA’s commitment to the development of credible news media in Ukraine,” says VOA Acting Director, Kelu Chao.
The 24-minute weekly program offers a world view of Ukrainian and regional affairs from influential U.S., international and Ukrainian figures – leading politicians, experts, and decision makers. Interviews with guests will provide in-depth discussions regarding current affairs and help viewers to understand the geopolitical issues impacting Ukraine. It will showcase newsmakers that shape their world.
An exclusive interview with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko will be the first in the series of the new show. He was interviewed in Kyiv. In the following weeks, viewers will see interviews with US Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), who co-chairs the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, and Natalie Jaresko, Ukraine’s American-born minister of finance who is leading reform efforts in the country. “We are thrilled to collaborate with First National TV in bringing this series of newsmaker interviews to millions of people in Ukraine, who seek to learn more about the views of the leaders who are impacting their world,” says VOA Eurasia Division Director Elez Biberaj.
Throughout the Euromaidan revolution and Russia’s campaign of aggression against Ukraine, VOA’s Ukrainian Service has served as a unique and comprehensive source of news, information and discussion about the crisis. The surge in Ukraine-related content in the service’s programming over the past two years was accompanied by an expansion of broadcasts, including the launch of the daily TV program Studio Washington for Russian-speaking Ukrainians. As a result, the service is averaging more than 18 percent of the adult audience in Ukraine and is considered the most popular Western international broadcaster in the country.
Prime Time with Myroslava Gongadze will be added to a trio of popular TV programs produced by VOA Ukrainian. The service’s flagship daily show Chas-Time, seen on Channel 5, focuses on international news, developments in the United States, and relations between Ukraine and the United States. It’s weekly Window on America program focuses on American society, institutions and values, as well as achievements and expertise in many fields including health, business, science and technology. Studio Washington, seen on Channel 24, delivers news about U.S.-Ukrainian relations in the Russian language.