Russia’s leading broadcaster Channel One will hold a contest within 30 days to determine which company will sell its commercial airtime next year.
Kommersant reports that Video International (VI), the leading ad sales house and currently undertaking sales for Channel One, is likely to participate in what will be a closed tender.
VI currently accounts for around 70% of the TV ad sales market in Russia but will be hit by an amendment to advertising legislation that limits the market share companies can hold in the sector to 35%.
It has sold commercial airtime on VI since 2000 and signed a three-year agreement last autumn, only just before the amendments to the legislation were passed.
