Blessed by top Lviv officials, state TV company wants to seize commercial TV company

November25200918:02

The general director of the Lviv oblast state TV company, Yaroslav Klymovych, with the backing of Lviv Mayor Sadovyj, head of the oblast council Senyk and BYT faction, tried to interfere with the work of the private UT-Zahid TV company, Ihor Dedyshyn told journalists in a press conference on Nov. 25.

According to Dedyshyn who represents UT-Zahid major investors, broadcasting by UT- Zahid was stopped for 3 hours, from 21.00 to 24.00 on the “12th Channel.” He described it as a forced seizure by the Lviv state TV company officials who broke into the studio. The seizure had political undertones, he stressed. “The police were called in, and we demonstrated to them all the contracts and licenses to prove the legitimacy of UT-Zahid,” Ihor Dedyshyn added. UT-Zahid is co-owned by Karpaty FC honorary president Petro Dyminsky who invested $9 million in the company and the Lviv oblast council, Ihor Dedyshyn continued.

UT-Zahid TV company was founded by 3 entities: the Lviv oblast council represented by the Lviv-TB Co., the Mist-TB Co. with a 33.3% stake, and the Biznes Media Aktyvy Ltd. which is owned by Karpaty FC (76% ) and Karpaty FC employees (24%). UT-Zahid was founded by three TV companies: Lviv-TB, Mist-TB and UT-3. UT-3 was set up in October 2007. It acquired corporate rights for Mist-TB and became Mist-TB co-owners jointly with Lviv-TB. The acquisition was approved by the Lviv oblast council on March 10, 2009. Later, Biznes Media Aktyvy bought UT-3 to become a co-owner of UT-Zahid.