The 1+1 media group is outraged by the refusal to renew the rental license for the TV series "Matchmakers"

Today, June 12, by the decision of the expert council at the State Film Agency, the issuing of a rental license for the second season of the series "Matchmakers", produced in 2008 by the Ukrainian film studio "Kinoquartal", was denied without legal grounds.

The 1+1 media group is outraged by such a decision and considers it unfounded, illogical and politically motivated, especially considering the latest decision of the Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal. Earlier, on May 15, the court did not satisfy the appeals of the SBU and Derzhkino against the court's decision to lift the ban on the TV series "Matchmakers".

"The experts actually refused to argue their position, referring to the fact that they are not obliged to explain the reasons for their decisions. We asked Derzhkino for the experts' written cards with reasons for voting - they promised to provide them. We will appeal the relevant decision of State Cinema in court," comments Tetyana Smirnova, director of the legal department of 1+1 media.

The 1+1 media group would not like to think that the head of the State Agency of Ukraine for Cinema Affairs Pylyp Illenko and VO "Svoboda" are using this situation as a platform to enter the parliamentary campaign in order to demonstrate the alleged struggle for the national idea.

After the court's decision, we observed a deliberate delay in the process of renewing the rental license for the series. For unknown reasons, the series was sent for additional examination, although the renewal of the certificate should have happened automatically after the court decision.

We hope that in the future, the expert commission will not be manipulated in making decisions, but will act in accordance with the current legislation.

It is not clear to us why a Ukrainian product, made in Ukraine, in a Ukrainian studio for Ukrainian money and broadcast on two Ukrainian national channels, became the object of a public beating. But it is obvious to us that currently both the product and the "1+1" TV channel, and most importantly - the experts - are trying to be used as a political tool for pre-election manipulation with one goal - to get into the parliament.

For additional information, contact the press service of the "1+1" channel, +38 044 490 0101; media@1plus1.tv; www.1plus1.ua