1+1 (TV channel)

1+1 TV channel was founded in August 1995, headed by its original President Alexander Rodnyansky who also was its general director from 1996 to 2002.[1] In 2002 he joined STS Media and since 2004 he has been the president of that Delaware-registered Russian company.

It immediately became a major force in the Ukrainian TV industry, even though in the very beginning the channel's programming consisted solely of movie broadcasts. Its first broadcast was within two months of its founding, in September 1995, and since 1997 has been broadcasting continuously on the second channel of the Ukrainian national TV network UT-2 (Ukrainian: Другий загальнонаціональний канал (УТ-2), liter.: "Druhyj zagalnonatsionalnyj kanal"), with an appropriate license of the Ukrainian National Television and Radio Council.

From the start, the channel was very successful, despite its initial limited programming. Until 2004 1+1 broadcast only for 15 hours. Its program schedule was from 7 AM until 10 AM, followed by a break for four hours with the UT-2 channel from 10 AM until 1+1 backs, and then from 2 PM until 2AM. Beginning on 30 June 2004 the channel was given official permission to broadcast 24 hours each day. Since then, 1+1 has been able to create a complete round-the-clock broadcast schedule.

Reporter from 1+1 reporting live outside the parliament in Tbilisi during the Russian-Georgian War 2008

1+1 was the first TV project in Ukraine to start actively inviting popular TV stars and other celebrities to take part in their live shows. The following is a list of most popular programmes currently being offered to 1+1 viewers:

TSN

Television Service of News (TSN) is a news service programme, which has been operating on the channel from the start, and even its presenters have mainly remained the same. Such names as Ala Mazur (on TSN since January 3, 1997; in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2001 was awarded the best news presenter of the year), Ljudmyla Dobrovolska, Oles Tereshenko and some others are very familiar to those who live in Ukraine, and according to the research, these people have the highest level of trust among news viewers. The TSN series air daily at 7:30 pm except Saturday. Oles Tereshenko leads the concluding TSN series of a day at 00:00 and a week as well every Sunday at 7:30 pm with the overview of political, social, and cultural life of Ukraine and the world.

Breakfast with 1+1
Working actively since 2002, Breakfast is the early morning programme, offering viewers a fun way to spend the morning. Originally, it was the Monday to Friday Breakfast, but since 2006 a weekend breakfast has been "cooked" as well, adding such activities to its "menu" as "Fitness", "Fashion Stuffs", "Relax!", and "Don't sleep and travel". The programme offers an interactive area on its website.

The Voice Of Ukraine
A reality talent show. Holos Krainy is part of the international syndication The Voice based on the reality singing competition launched in the Netherlands as The Voice of Holland, created by Dutch television producer John de Mol.

Wife Swap

Reality television programme, part of international syndication Wife Swap. Two families, usually from different social classes and lifestyles, swap wives/mothers – and sometimes husbands – for two weeks.

Four Weddings

Reality television programme, based on the UK version of the same name. Four brides attend each other's weddings and rate them on their Dress, Ceremony, Food and Reception out of thirty marks.

Dancing with the Stars

Dance competition television series, part of international syndication of the same name. The format of the show consists of a celebrity paired with a professional dancer. Each couple performs predetermined dances and competes against the others for judges' points and audience votes. The couple receiving the lowest combined total of judges' points and audience votes is eliminated each week until only the champion dance pair remains.

Neighbourhood № 95

Comedy series created by Volodymyr Zelensky. The members of comedy team of the same name tell the audience jokes, perform comedy numbers in a satire manner.

The brand of the channel has become a traditional sign of quality in Ukrainian TV industry. The company's work and separate presenters have been recognized and highly evaluated not only by national specialists and experts in TV production, but also by many international experts and at TV forums.

In 1999, after 1+1 had been broadcasting on UT-2 24h per day for two years with an appropriate license, the channel sent a claim to the Supreme Court of Ukraine requesting the TV company AITI, who used to hire UT-2 4 hours of broadcasting time earlier before, to give up its license as it had stopped its programming for a year. In the year 2000 the claim was decided for the 1+1 preference.

Channel 1+1 has been the subject of continuing criticism during the 2004 presidential election, when it was heavily criticized for twisting information in favor of Viktor Yanukovych (Prime Minister of Ukraine at the time). Such behavior was typical for a Ukrainian-wide channel, because all of the media were under heavy pressure from the Administration of the President of President Kuchma. Furthermore, critics accused the channel of being part of the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine empire.[2][3]

In late November 2004 several journalists left the channel in protest against this pressure and almost all leading presenters had refused to report news. Those actions altogether with similar actions on other channels marked the beginning of the Orange revolution.

In October 2006 Alexander Rodnyansky, the General Producer of Studio 1+1, won a hard appeal process in the Supreme Court of Ukraine, after the court gave ownership of 70% of the company's shares to Ihor Kolomyyskyy, and as he had claimed, in June 2005 there was an agreement signed between himself and Rodnyansky, that 70% of the company's shares were sold to Kolomyyskyy (for ~US$70 million).

On the 2014-2015 New Year night the 80th Disco TV program was shown on 1+1. Oleg Gazmanov participated in it. He is one of the signatories of the petition in support of Russian actions in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine in 2014. That caused a scandal in Ukrainian society. The National Council on Television and Radio of Ukraine promised to review all facts of violation of broadcast regulations by Ukrainian TV and radio companies on the New Year night.[4]

• Vitalii Sediuk

• Official website (in Ukrainian)
• 1+1 International