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| Country | Ukraine |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Ukraine Europe (As Inter+) United States (As Inter+) |
| Headquarters | Kyiv |
| Programming | |
| Picture format | 16:9 (576i,SDTV) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | GDF Media Limited[1] |
| Sister channels | Domestic :International :
|
| History | |
| Launched | October 20, 1996 |
| Replaced | ORT |
| Closed | Inter+: January 1, 2021 (Russia) December 1, 2021 (Ukraine on HD) December 3, 2021 (Denmark) January 23, 2022 (Romania, Sweden, Turkey) January 31, 2022 (on Dish Network) February 2, 2022 (Colombia, Uruguay) February 20, 2022 (Peru) February 28, 2022 (Mexico) March 1, 2022 (Macedonia, Poland, Latin America) |
| Replaced by | Inter in the context of the 2014 annexation of Crimea: Channel One Russia (in Sevastopol) NTV (in Simferopol) |
| Links | |
| Website | Official website |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| Zeonbud | MX-1 (7) |
| Streaming media | |
| Inter Live | Watch live |
Inter (Ukrainian:Інтер) is a Ukrainian television channel. It covers 99.7 percent of Ukraine's territory.[note 1][1] According to theKyiv Post, it is among the most-watched television channels inUkraine.[1][2][failed verification][3]
Since February 26, 2022, Inter became part of a state-coordinatedUnited News telethon that broadcasts around the clock to provide information to the public regarding theRusso-Ukrainian War.[4] Since then, the broadcasting grid, program, and editorial policies have been radically changed.[5][6] Inter also agreed to decode the satellite signals so that people from all over the world could see what is really happening in Ukraine.[7]
Inter is part of Inter Media Group. At the beginning of 2025, Inter Media Group reported an increase in the performance of its channels.[8] Inter has the largest correspondent network among Ukrainian TV channel; the channel's bureaus operate in the USA (Dmitry Anopchenko), Germany (Tetiana Logunova), Belgium and Israel.
The channel was founded by theUkrainian Independent TV-Corporation in 1996. It broadcast on the former UT-3 network. At the time of the channel's founding, the 29% of the Ukrainian Independent Television Corporation was held byORT, who also supplied Inter with programming.[9] In 2015 this part of the shares was bought out, because theUkrainian parliament raised the need to completely eliminate Russia's information influence.[citation needed]
Besides its international version of the channel as the business project, Inter now consists of several similar projects. Those are07 Production – a studio of the documentary films,NIS – an information studio featuring Podrobytsi,Pirat Production – a studio of entertainment shows. There were also over five other independent channels such asNTN,K1,K2,Megasport,Enter-Film, andEnter-Music (aUkrainian version ofMTV).
In February 2022, theRussian invasion of Ukraine brought Inter to the brink of survival, with operations at the channels almost paralysed – only thirty of the two hundred people who used to make news on Inter were at work.[10] The channel then subsequently joined theUnited News telethon, which has been funded by the state since 2022[11] and was widely seen as an element of defense against Russia's attempt to subjugate Ukraine.[12] During the meeting with the Ukrainian journalists (including the representatives of Inter) President of UkraineVolodymyr Zelenskyy called the United News one of the key stages in the history of invincibility of Ukraine.[13]
Inter Plus (Ukrainian:Інтер+) is the international network of Inter Channel that broadcasts the "best of Inter" programming to Ukrainians abroad in North America & Europe. The channel first started broadcasting on January 13, 2003,[14] available viaDish Network in the United States and in Germany throughKabel Deutschland and encrypted in Europe & Russia onSirius 2 &ABS 1 satellites. As of March 30, 2011, Inter Plus is no longer available on Dish Network.[15]
Inter+ is also available in Canada via IMB+ Records, an IPTV provider.[16]
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The channel was founded by theUkrainian Independent TV-Corporation in 1996. TheUkrainian independent TV-corporation's shareholders wereDilovyi Svit 51%, RussianChannel One 29%,Pegas Television 20%. About 82.5% of Pegas Television was the personal property ofIhor Pluzhnikov. The other shares of the company were split betweenPegas and Overseas sales Ltd. 17.3% andBersted Ukraina 0.2%. Those two companies were his property as well. BesidesPegas, he had some shares in Dilovyi Svit which consisted ofBersted Ukraina,RIF-Service,Play Enterprise, insurance companySindek, and legal services ofKonnov and Sozanovskyi. In 2005, Ihor Pluzhnikov unexpectedly died. His death caused a lot of discussions on the political level. In August all of the shares Dilovyi Svit and half of Pegas Television (total of 61%)[17][18] became a property of what later became known asUkrainian Mediaproject headed byValeriy Khoroshkovsky.Pegas was taken over by Pluzhnikov's wife, Svitlana, who has 10% ownership of theUkrainian independent TV-corporation.[3] There is speculation that she does not have any influence on the business of the telechannel,Inter. As of December 2012, 61% of the shares are owned by Ukrainian Mediaproject, 29% by Channel One and 10% by Pluzhnikov's widow.[3] According toYaroslav Porokhniak, head of the management board of Inter, the Russian shareholders have no say in the channel's editorial or programming policies.[3]
In September Valeriy became the head of theObserving Council and in 2006 made some changes in the management. In 2007, on the base ofUkrainian Mediaproject was establishedU.A. Inter Media Group financial holdings.
The channel is part ofGDF Media Limited; sinceDmytro Firtash bought 100 percent of Inter Media Group Limited (back) fromValeriy Khoroshkovskyi on February 1, 2013.[1] In June 2007 Khoroshkovskyi had expanded his U.A. Inter Media Group Ltd with various other channels bought from Firtash.[19]
GDF Media Limited also ownsNTN, K1,Mega, Enter-Film, K2, Pixel andZoom.[1]
According to critics, the channel used to be directly controlled by theSocial Democratic Party of Ukraine (united) until the 2004Orange Revolution.[20][21]
In January 2009 the formerUkrainian Prime MinisterYulia Tymoshenko refused to appear on Inter television programs criticizing the channel's associates of their professional ethics.[17]
On February 21, 2014, 16 journalists of the channel claimed to have been the victim of censorship (in the form of having been forced to make "pro-government propaganda") and called on the higher management to objectively cover events concerningEuromaidan.[22] On February 22, 2014, the channel's normal programming was replaced, amid rumours of a possible attack or arson on its headquarters, by the live broadcast ofparliamentary sessions.[23] On February 22, 2014, as a part of the "Maidan revolution", PresidentViktor Yanukovych (the one that the 16 journalists had complained about being forced to create propaganda for) was removed from office.[24]
Early September 2016 the Inter studios were attacked and then blockaded for three days bySt Mary's battalion who accused it of being too pro-Russian amidst theRusso-Ukrainian War.[2]
In 2014, Inter's informational policy repeatedly caused a negative reaction from the society. There even was a Facebook group created calledBlacklist Inter (Ukrainian:«Інтер в ігнор»).[25] Also,Euromaidan activists called for boycott of the TV channel[26] and asked its employees not to lie in air.[27] Censorship on "Inter" was reported earlier.[28]
Since 2014, Inter was criticized for the broadcasting of Russian serials. According to results of monitoring made by "Boycott Russian cinema" activists, in September Inter took 3rd place among top 10 nationwide TV-channels which demonstrate Russian films and serials. During the period from September 8 to 14 Russian content lasted in average 11 hours and 15 minutes per day.[29][30] According to the data, on September 27 Russian content took about 67% on this channel.[31]
On December 11, 2014 "Boycott Russian Films" activists were picketing Inter's main office inKyiv. During the action named "Do not kill our protectors by Russian propaganda!" young people placed photos of Ukrainian soldiers, killed during the2014 Russian military intervention in Ukraine, on the main entrance. Activists claimed that Inter takes second place among TV channels concerning the amount of Russian origin content. Protesters announced that Russian films and serials on Inter glorify Russian armed forces, which is unacceptable during the war.[32][33]
According to monitoring results held from December 1 to 7 the amount of Russian origin content increased up to 13 hours and 15 minutes per day.[34]
From December 31, 2014, to January 1, 2015, during celebration of the New Year the channel broadcast a New Year show titled "Wait for me in the New Year" (Russian:«Жди меня в Новый год») with Russian stars who had supported theoccupation of Crimea by Russia (Joseph Kobzon,Oleg Gazmanov,Valeriya, etc.). This event immediately caused a burst of resentment in Ukrainianblogosphere[35] andsocial network.[36][37] On January 1, a number of Ukrainian high-ranked officials, politicians and cultural workers reacted to the show.[38][39][40] Particularly, the secretary of theNational Security and Defense Council of UkraineOleksandr Turchynov announced that National Council of Television and Radio of Ukraine must consider about cancellation of channel's licence immediately.[41][42] In the evening the news program of the channel "Podrobnosti" publicly dissociated from New Year shows with Russian stars participating,[43] and announced that the timetable of TV programs was changed incorrectly.[44][45]
Member of expert commission on distributing and showing films Serhiy Osnach claimed that Inter violated regulation about compulsorily having 50% of Ukrainian content[46] (article 9 ofConstitution of Ukraine "About television and radiobroadcasting"). From December 5 to 11, 2015 activists of "Boycott Russian Films" campaign conducted monitoring, results of which confirmed what experts had said. Activists calculated that there is 17% Ukrainian content on Inter.[47][48]
On January 15, 2015, the National Council for Radio and Television of Ukraine gave a warning to Inter for program broadcasting.[49]
In January 2015, the telecommunications companyKyivstar cancelled booking its advertising slots on Inter: "We stopped placing advertisement movies on Inter. It is important for us that our advertisement correspond with patriotic values, which Kyivstar puts in advertisement as a national Ukrainian operator."[49]
| Suspilne |
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|---|---|---|---|
| 1+1 Media Group |
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| Inter Media Group |
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| Starlight Media | |||
| Free Media Holding (former assets ofPetro Poroshenko) | |||
| Other terrestrial channels |
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| State-owned channels |
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| UP Hub |
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| Film.UA Group |
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| Volia (DVL) |
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| Torfey |
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| Poverkhnost+ |
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| Megogo |
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| Adjara Media Group |
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| Maincast |
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| Vianet |
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| Music Box Group |
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| Islandiya |
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| Nashe Media |
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| Eco Media |
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| Other channels |
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| Defunct channels |
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