You're reading: Azarov knew nothing about TVi before scandal

Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said he knew nothing about the TVi channel before the scandal around it erupted.

“To tell the truth, before the scandal I had no idea that such a channel existed. I believe they got good publicity,” he said at a meeting with international observers and diplomats in Kyiv on Friday.


The prime minister expressed the belief that all the tax problems of the channel were not political.


“The audience of this channel is less than 1%. Tell me, why would the authorities need this channel? The tax authorities came to this channel. I am 100% sure that they didn’t come for political reasons,” the premier said.


According to Azarov, Ukraine has enough channels with larger audiences broadcasting news stories showing the current government in negative light. The president said that he believed STB and Novi Kanal to be in opposition to the authorities.