The New York-based Russian language TV station RTVI has been acquired by the US businessman Mikayel Israyelyan for an undisclosed fee.
According to Reuters, RTVI was owned by Ruslan Sokolov since 2012 and the sale marks the first time the network will be majority owned by a foreign shareholder.
It adds that Israyelyan, an entertainment industry entrepreneur and chief executive of the Muse Lifestyle Group, plans to expand the channel by opening offices in Washington and California to target the nearly seven million Russian speakers living in the US.
All told, RTVI currently broadcasts Russian language programming to nearly 50 countries.