The Russian broadcaster TV Center, which is owned by the Moscow government, has fired its head Alexander Ponomarev.
He will be replaced by Yulia Bystritskaya, the deputy general director of the state broadcaster VGTR, who will assume her new role on October 29.
Local press reports say the move has surprised the Russian TV industry, in which Ponomarev has played a prominent role for many years.
Bystritskaya is likely to be joined by other executives from VGTRK in the near future.
TV Center has seen its audience share fall both nationally, from 2.9% to 2.5%, and within Moscow itself, from 4.5% to 3.9%, in the year to September 2012.