Cable Television: The Russians Are Leaving

Beginning from February 1, a new Ukrainian 24 hour M1 musical channel will appear onscreen for Kyiv cable television subscribers. According to the Volia-Kabel Company providing information and services to the capital’s cable users, it is to replace Moscow’s TNT. Volia-Kabel refers to Ukrainian laws on television binding cable operators to give priority in distributing technical resources to Ukrainian channels. It is known that a cable network is designed for a certain number of channels (eighteen at present). In addition, subscribers in the Pechersk, Podil, and Lisovy Massive broadcast cable networks will obtain a chance to watch another Ukrainian music channel, MTV, and Fox Kids in the Russian language.

Thus, as of next month all the not cleared channels will disappear from Kyiv cable networks. Only one Russian channel stays, ORT International. It might be not as interesting as ORT itself, but it is cleared, meaning that its retransmission is carried out in accordance with Ukrainian and international laws on copyright and related rights. Suffice it to recall that in early 2002 TVTs Russian channel gave way to the Ukrainian OTV. It remains possible, according to Volia-Kabel Program Selection Manager Ihor Sanzharovsky, that the NTV-World and Ren TV Russian channels could in the future appear on cable. At present negotiations are held with their representatives (NTV- Ukraine, in spite of its promises to start broadcasting from the beginning of the year, has not yet made its appearance). However, the probability of the Russians coming is not very high. Even if NTV-World retains its right to broadcast in Ukraine territory, will the Ukrainians have a chance to watch it? The prices NTV proposes to our subscribers are not likely to be acceptable to Kyiv operators, who in accordance with a city administration’s decision retain the lowest subscription fee in Ukraine, four hryvnias (75 – Ed.) a month.