23 August 2012 Last updated at 07:42 ET

Ukraine profile

Television dominates the media scene; many outlets are privately-owned.

August 2010 protest in Kiev in support of private TV networks TVi and Channel 5 Protest in support of private network TVi, which lost its terrestrial frequencies in 2010

Commercial networks, particularly Inter TV and 1+1, attract the biggest share of the audience. The FM band in Kiev is home to more than 20 radio stations.

Many newspapers have Ukrainian and Russian-language editions. Several mass-market tabloids publish only in Russian.

Despite an expanding advertising market, many media outlets rely on the support of wealthy sponsors.

Ahead of parliamentary elections in 2012, watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said independent media were facing "harassment, including constant intimidation, raids and prosecutions".

RSF cited the case of pro-opposition TVi, which lost its terrestrial broadcasting frequencies in 2010 and has faced pressure from tax officials.

There were 15.3 million internet users by December 2011 (Internetworldstats). Access is unrestricted, says Freedom House. The web is a popular news source, with more than a dozen leading sites - neutral, pro-opposition and pro-government.

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