Taras Kozak buys Ukraine’s Zik TV

Taras Kozak

Ukrainian politician Taras Kozak has acquired Zik for an undisclosed fee.

This adds to Kozak’s existing portfolio of 112 Ukraine and Newsone under holding company Novosti.

Speaking on the acquisition, Kozak said: “The Ukrainian TV viewer is a deeply politicised demanding viewer. A viewer who needs to be treated with great respect. For me, the acquisition of the Zik TV channel is a meaningful and pragmatic step. Information broadcasting in Ukraine today is ahead of many of the world’s major channels in its mobility, audience interest, image. Having acquired Zik, I will be able to build the largest network of information broadcasters, which, in terms of resources, makes them less costly, and at the same time creates their larger capitalisation as an asset. This asset is called the Novosti (News) information media holding. It was for its development and management that I invited one of the country’s strongest media producers, Alexei Semenov”.

As reported by Kyiv Post, Kovak is particularly pro-Russian in his leanings, has personal ties to Russian president Vladmir Putin, and is a close ally of Viktor Medvedchuk. Kozak and Medvedchuk are both running in Ukraine’s upcoming parliamentary election as members of the oppositional party for Life, which is pro-Russia.