An openly pro-Russian Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, who is Vladimir Putin's main political operative in Ukraine (and also his daughter's godfather) does not conceal ambitions to acquire more Ukrainian TV channels after sealing the latest deal to get control over Zik through his ally Taras Kozak, that's according to Zik's former anchor Tetiana Danylenko.
"This is not some narrow professional topic, it's about national security," Danylenko told a panel show on 1+1, TSN reports.
"Last Friday, 420 journalists quit their jobs... They all left, or will leave, because a pro-Russian oligarch, probably for Russian money, bought the third news channel over this year," she said.
According to Danylenko, there is information that negotiations are underway on the purchase of Channel 5 and Priamiy Channel, and none of the state agencies seem to see a problem in this, the journalist said.
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It was not only journalists and editors, but also technical staff who found it impossible to stay on the job with Medvedchuk de facto controlling Zik.
"The new management will not dispute what the editorial policy should be: they are people of the vertical,” Danylenko assures.
The former anchor gave an example of the first big show on Zik under the new management, aired June 20. It was a TV marathon dedicated to the 30 days of Volodymyr Zelensky's presidency. She listed the guests who visited the marathon: leaders of Mariupol and Lviv City ranches of the Opposition Platform - For Life Party, Nestor Shufrych, Vadym Rabinovych. "Topics raised: Viktor Medvedchuk is again a negotiator between Ukraine and Russia. Zelensky doesn’t follow the advice of the Opposition Platform - For Life," Danylenko said.
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As UNIAN reported earlier, Zik's new owner is Taras Kozak, who is in the election list of the "Opposition Platform - For Life" party and is believed to be Medvedchuk's close ally.
There are now three channels owned by Kozak: 112 Ukraine, NewsOne, and Zik.
