Moves to stamp out piracy in the pay-TV sector appear to be gathering momentum in Ukraine.
Several local reports say that the country’s National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting intends to compile a list of companies providing pay-TV services without a licence and hand it over to the police.
It is also preparing changes to existing legislation.
Ukrainian cable and satellite operators have also decided to move against pirates by informing the authorities of companies they suspect of broadcasting TV channels illegally.
The moves appear to be targeted not only at pirates but also companies that have applied for licences but have yet to receive one, as well as companies only licensed for cable TV but also offering IPTV services.
By some accounts, there are between 100-200 companies in Ukraine offering pay-TV services without a licence.
The total number of people watching them is estimated at up to 1.5 million, or roughly a third of those who watch legal pay-TV services.
