STB (TV channel)

STB (СТБ) is a Ukrainian commercial television network. Today, the coverage area of the network is 85% of Ukraine's territory. It is broadcast in all Oblast centers and all Ukrainian cities with a population greater than 50,000. It occupies the 1st place in the list of the leading TV networks in Ukraine.

The channel is a part of Starlight Media broadcasting group, created by Viktor Pinchuk.

History
The founders of the networks were Ukrainian and American companies: International Media Center, Shachar Enterprises, Inc., Internews Netouron K. The STB was launched on 2 June 1997. Since 1997, STB was controlled by Volodymyr Sivkovych, a Ukrainian businessman and politician. He was the one, who decided to create the TV channel. Since September, 1996, the crew of STB broadcast news under the title Vikna (Вікна, "Windows") on the frequency of UT-2.

In 1999, STB fell under the influence of companies of the Russian Lukoil Group through its Norcross Corporation because of pro Russia pro Kremlin pro Putin Leonid Kuchma's support for aggressive actions taken against STB management's independent position in early 1999 resulting in Oleksiy Fedun, who made STB into a very pro Kuchma platform, becoming the executive president of the network on September 6, 1999.

In 2000, the popularity of the channel rose. The most popular programs are ''Vikna. News., Vikna. Business., Vikna. Capital-city., Vikna. Crimes., Vikna. Sport. and Vikna. Midnight.'' STB becomes an info-channel.

In 2000, Vikna was registered as a trademark of STB. In 2001 STB became a registered trademark. STB became the first Ukrainian television network that got a domain name and website — stb.ua.

In 2002, the administration of STB changes its brand as an info-channel. There are more entertaining programs on air, such as, National Striptise Championship of Ukraine, reality-shows The House and Starving, and the scandalous talk show Restricted Zone. The popularity of STB falls. Lukoil tries to sell STB.

In 2004, STB becomes the property of one of Leonid Kuchma son in law Viktor Pinchuk's StarLightMedia Group.

Through 1997 to 2007, many famous television personalities have worked at STB. The most popular of them are Georgiy Gongadze, Myroslava Gongadze, Yurii Horban, Oleksii Mustafin, Kateryna Nesterenko, Osman Pashayev, Tetyana Ramus, Roman Skrypin, Ihor Tatarchuk, Iryna Vannikova, Mykola Veresen, Alena Vinnytska and Natalka Yakymovych.

STB today
Since 2005 the programs of STB were changed. The group of news programs called Windows got a better look (They began to look very close to BBC News). New popular shows were introduced. Thanks to the format change, STB entered the top 5 Ukrainian channels by share in 2006, and in 2007 it became the 3rd largest Ukrainian channel by audience share (appr. 8% for 18+ audiences). STB's most popular programs are "Paralelnyi Svit" (Parallel World) and "Bytva Ekstrasensiv" (Psychic Challenge). In 2008 STB launched the "Tantsuyut Vsi" (So You Think You Can Dance) talent show. In May 2009 STB started the "Ukraina maye Talant" ("Ukraine's Got Talent") show, similar to ITV's Britain's Got Talent.

Related to the Crimean crises 2014 STB broadcasts in Sevastopol ended on 9 March 2014, 14:30 o'clock East European time.

Language policy
Is one of a few Ukrainian TV channels, which use particular rules of Kharkiv orthography in some TV programs. That causes both compliments and critics from the society.

But, according to monitoring data made by "Boycott Russian Films" campaign activists on 27 September 2014, there was approximately 54% of Russian language content on the channel.