Jewish Mafia Takes Over Ukrainian
Television
According to an article in the April 5, 1997 N.Y. Times, "TV
Venture by Cosmetics Heir Raises Questions," Zionist mogul and former
U.S. ambassador to Austria Ronald Lauder, has united with Vadim
Rabinovich, a Ukrainian millionaire who spent nine years in prison
for theft and has ties to the Jewish mafia in Ukraine, to build a
media empire--Central European Media Enterprises-- in the countries
of the former Soviet Union.
The Jewish owned Central European Media controls television
stations in seven East European countries in the region. Ukrainian TV
is controlled by its subsidiary, the Studio 11 Group, its local
partner in Kiev.
Rabinovich is linked to Grigory Loutchansky, a Russian-Jew, whose
company, Nordex, is believed to be a front for the Russian-Jewish
mafia.
The Times says, "Rabinovich was jailed from 1982 to 1990 for theft
from the state. He said in an interview that he had been chief of a
construction brigade and had sold goods to private customers. He said
he had committed no real crime and had been persecuted for being
Jewish.
"...Central European Media sought to expand into Ukraine a year
ago. At the outset, Fertig (its chief of operations) said, its
representatives were referred to Rabinovich and his partners by a
close adviser and assistant to President Leonid Kuchma of Ukraine,
who praised the Ukraine group. And when questions arose about the
legality of the broadcast license received by the joint venture, the
same presidential adviser obtained a letter declaring that the
license had been awarded properly.
"...(C)oncerns about his business activities led the British
government to bar Loutchansky from entering the country...An
intelligence summary prepared by a Western government, and
corroborated by senior U.S. diplomats, said Ostex, one of
Rabinovich's companies, had been created as an arm of Nordex, a claim
that Rabinovich disputed.
"In the interview in his office in a modern building in Kiev,
Rabinovich said he had worked with Nordex for about a year but had
broken off the relationship two years ago because of bad publicity
about Loutchansky. He said his companies, which are engaged in many
businesses, had only legitimate interests...
"Lauder, whose mother founded Estee Lauder Cosmetics, created
Central European Media in 1994. He predicted last year that the
company would have annual revenues of $1 billion within five years,
but it has run up steady losses to date. The company reported last
month that it lost $30 million in 1996 compared with losses of $18.7
million in 1995 and $20.5 million in 1994.
"When the company sought to enter the Ukraine market a year ago,
Fertig said, its executives were referred to Rabinovich and his
partners in Studio 11 by Oleksandra Volkov, an assistant and close
adviser to Kuchma. Western diplomats and businessmen said Volkov also
owned a piece of Studio 11, but Fertig said he was unaware of that
investment.
"Along with the recommendation from the presidential adviser, the
company executives also were impressed by a photograph in
Rabinovich's office that showed him with President Clinton and Vice
President Al Gore, according to a person close to the company.
"The photograph was taken in late 1995 at a Democratic
fund-raising party in Miami, Rabinovich said. He said he had not
donated money to the Democrats but had been invited to the event by
Bennett LeBow, an American businessman whose interests include
Liggett Group, the big cigarette manufacturer.
"...Last summer Central European Media negotiated a partnership
agreement with Studio 11 Group that gave the American company a 50
percent economic interest in the operation, which was broadcasting
about five hours a day on Ukrainian television.
"Studio 11 received a license last fall to expand its broadcast
time on Ukraine's commercial channel, UT 2, to nine hours a day,
including prime time. The license, also sought by other companies,
was issued despite a moratorium imposed by Parliament.
"...The Ukraine deal is important to Central European Media. In a
stock offering last fall, which raised $132 million, the company said
the Ukraine partnership had more than doubled its market reach.
"A cablegram from the embassy to the State Department in
Washington in September raised questions about Rabinovich's
background and said he was 'largely considered beyond the reach of
the law in Ukraine', according to a copy provided to The New York
Times."
