Sonce

Sonce (Ukrainian: Сонце, literally "Sun") is a Ukrainian nationwide general-entertainment television channel aimed at family viewing. It was founded in 2012, when the Ukrainian production company Studiya Pilot received a broadcasting licence from the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine on 21 March 2012. The channel's founders were Oleksandr Brykailo and Serhiy Lavreniuk, and regular broadcasting began on 4 February 2013. The channel is operated by the limited liability company Solar Media LLC, based in Kyiv, and its editorial and advertising contacts are handled through Solar Media. Sonce positions itself as a reliable partner in the world of entertainment and information, with a schedule built around entertainment, lifestyle, cooking, reality and family-oriented programming. Its line-up has included shows such as 3x4, Naykumednishe domashnie video (Funniest Home Video), Pravyla zhyttia (Rules of Life), Naykrashchyi kukhar na seli (Best Cook in the Village), and Jamie Oliver cooking programmes, alongside series, cartoons and feature films. The channel also carries news under the "Haryachi novyny" (Hot News) banner, broadcast six times a day. Distribution has evolved with Ukraine's television landscape. Sonce has been available in the national digital terrestrial network DVB-T2, on cable networks, and via satellite. It moved to widescreen 16:9 broadcasting on 1 August 2018. During the first month of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, from 24 February to 25 March 2022, the channel retransmitted the American CNN channel without translation, adding a "Hot News. World" caption on 25 February, before resuming its own broadcasting on 26 March 2022. In 2023 it received a temporary wartime licence in the MX-5 multiplex and later won a licence in MX-7; in August 2024 the regulator moved Sonce to the MX-3 multiplex and its sister channel Sonce+ to MX-7. In November 2025 the National Council approved a change of broadcasting technology from satellite to OTT/IPTV. Sonce is a private, non-listed broadcaster. Its media registry identifiers are L10-01768, L10-01907, R10-00248 and R10-02316. The channel's general director has been Kristina Khlaponina. Alongside its main channel, the related service Sonce+ operates as a companion channel in the digital terrestrial network.

Sonce (Сонце) is a Ukrainian nationwide entertainment television channel. Its origins lie with the Ukrainian production company Studiya Pilot, which on 21 March 2012 received a broadcasting licence from the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine. The channel's founders were Oleksandr Brykailo and Serhiy Lavreniuk. Broadcasting began on 4 February 2013. From its early years the channel built a schedule around entertainment and family viewing, combining Ukrainian-produced shows with acquired series, cartoons and films. On 1 August 2018 the channel switched to widescreen 16:9 broadcasting, part of the broader modernisation of Ukrainian television. A major turning point came with the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. From 24 February to 25 March 2022, Sonce retransmitted the American CNN channel without translation, adding a "Hot News. World" caption on 25 February. On 26 March 2022 the channel resumed its own independent broadcasting. In 2023 the channel expanded its digital terrestrial presence. On 16 February 2023 the National Council issued Sonce a temporary permit to broadcast during martial law in the MX-5 network of the DVB-T2 digital terrestrial system, and on 21 February it began broadcasting there. On 31 October 2023 it won a competition for a broadcasting licence in the MX-7 digital terrestrial multiplex, and on 21 November it began broadcasting in MX-7. In 2024 the channel's multiplex position changed again. On 17 February 2024 Sonce ceased broadcasting in the MX-5 multiplex. The channel submitted a request to amend its licence with the intention of moving from MX-7 to another multiplex, but at a meeting on 30 May 2024 the regulator did not permit this. General Director Kristina Khlaponina told the publication Detector Media that the channel did not want to leave MX-7; rather, the request concerned an additional temporary possibility of signal distribution. At a meeting on 8 August 2024 the National Council moved Sonce to the MX-3 multiplex in place of its related channel Sonce+, which was in turn moved to MX-7. The next day Sonce began broadcasting in MX-3, and Sonce+ began in MX-7 on 4 September 2024. On 20 November 2025 the National Council changed the channel's broadcasting technology from satellite to OTT/IPTV. Sonce has also faced regulatory monitoring. National Council monitoring found that on 26 April 2024 the channel did not distribute information about the Day of the Chernobyl Tragedy in full — at minimum once every two hours. At a meeting, a channel representative said a ticker was present in the broadcast but displayed incorrectly for technical reasons; following the monitoring, the regulator issued the channel a directive. Monitoring also found that on 14 May 2024 Sonce did not distribute information about the Day of Remembrance of Ukrainians who rescued Jews during the Second World War in full, again at minimum once every two hours. The channel is operated by the limited liability company Solar Media LLC, based in Kyiv. Its media registry identifiers are L10-01768, L10-01907, R10-00248 and R10-02316. Alongside the main channel, the related service Sonce+ operates as a companion channel in the digital terrestrial network.

• Studiya Pilot receives a broadcasting licence from the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine.

• Sonce begins broadcasting.

• The channel switches to widescreen 16:9 broadcasting.

• From the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, Sonce retransmits CNN without translation until 25 March 2022.

• Sonce resumes its own independent broadcasting.

• National Council grants a temporary wartime permit for MX-5 DVB-T2 broadcasting.

• Sonce begins broadcasting in the MX-5 multiplex.

• Sonce wins the competition for an MX-7 DVB-T2 broadcasting licence.

• Sonce begins broadcasting in the MX-7 multiplex.

• Sonce ceases broadcasting in the MX-5 multiplex.

• The regulator does not permit the channel's requested licence change concerning multiplex distribution.

• National Council moves Sonce to MX-3 and Sonce+ to MX-7.

• Sonce begins broadcasting in the MX-3 multiplex.

• Sonce+ begins broadcasting in the MX-7 multiplex.

• National Council changes the channel's broadcasting technology from satellite to OTT/IPTV.

A nationwide Ukrainian family-entertainment channel offering entertainment, lifestyle and information programming.

• 3x4

• Naykumednishe domashnie video

• Pravyla zhyttia

• Naykrashchyi kukhar na seli

• Jamie Oliver cooking programmes

• Haryachi novyny

• Sonce+

1. 1Телеканал Сонце — official websitesonce.tv
2. 2Sonce — Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Сонце (телеканал) — Ukrainian Wikipediauk.wikipedia.org