The oligarchs still control the airwaves in Ukraine. Ten of eleven national television channels are directly or indirectly connected to politicians and oligarchs. More than 75 percent of Ukrainians regularly watch TV channels owned by Ukrainian oligarchs Viktor Pinchuk, Ihor Kolomoisky, Dmytro Firtash, and Rinat Akhmetov. In radio, the situation is even worse: the top four radio groups (which also belong to oligarchs) reach 92 percent of the market. It’s easy to see why Ukraine needs an independent public broadcaster.
EXCLUSIVE
Vitalii Rybak: Ukraine’s oligarchs still control the media
Ukrainian exiled oligarch Dmytro Firtash, fighting U.S. bribery charges that he denies, and other oligarchs control most major media outlets in Ukraine.
