According to local reports, Media Mir, a subsidiary of RosBusinessConsulting (RBC), has acquired a controlling stake in LovePlanet.ru. One of the most popular dating services on the Internet in Russia, LovePlanet.ru was established by a company named Arfon 18 months ago and currently has around 5 million users. The RBC Group has a number of […]
Executive changes at Polsat
Nina Terentiew has been appointed the programming director at the Polish national commercial station Polsat. In her new role, she will be principally responsible for domestic productions. Terentiew has been with Polsat since October 2006, prior to which she was head of the public broadcaster’s second channel TVP2. Also at Polsat, Waldemar Dziki has resigned […]
Challenging times.Chris Dziadul looks at a change at the helm at TVP
Earlier this week the Polish public broadcaster chose Andrzej Urbanski as its new president. Succeeding the controversial Bronislaw Wildstein, who vacated the post just over a month ago, he will have the none-too-easy task of mapping out a course for the station. Despite the fierce competition that exists between the Polish national commercial services Polsat […]
Cisco invests in Russia
Cisco Systems has announced a venture capital initiative targeting the technology industry in Russia. Its first step will be to acquire nearly 30% of Ozon, an e-commerce site, with Swiss Index Ventures and Germany’s Holtzbrinck ventures. Ozon is currently controlled by Baring Vostok Capital Partners through a company named Internet-reshenia. Local reports indicate that Cisco’s […]
Czech digital licence dispute hots up
According to local reports, the six companies that were awarded digital TV licences in the Czech Republic last year and subsequently had them withdrawn following protests by – amongst others – TV Nova and Prima TV – are likely to turn to the European Commission for help. The Digital Televisions Association (ADT), a body that […]
Mixed fortunes for Bulgaria’s BTC
The Bulgarian incumbent telco BTC has posted disappointing results for 2006, with after tax profits in the year more than halving to BGN132.3 million (€68.2 million). What is more, it forecast they would fall still further, to BGN111.6 million this year and BGN105.6 million in 2007. However, it was not all gloom and doom for […]
TVP elects new president
Andrzej Urbanski has been appointed the new president of the Polish national public broadcaster TVP. A close ally of the country’s president Lech Kaczynski, he has been acting president of TVP since the dismissal of its former head, Bronislaw Wildstein, in late February. Meanwhile Boguslaw Kulakowski has left ITI Group, where he was VP and […]
Comstar chooses new VP
The Sistema-backed telco Comstar UTS has appointed Victor Koresh as its new VP, with responsibility for development of the group’s operations. Koresh was previously the general director of CJSC PeterStar, the leading alternative telco in St Petersburg.
Disney set for Digiturk
Disney Channel is to launch on the Turkish platform Digiturk on April 29. The Walt Disney company has been active in Turkey since 1996, distributing filmed entertainment to broadcasters and offering Disney-branded blocks to free-to-air (FTA) stations. Digiturk, which will have exclusive distribution rights for Disney Channel, made its debut in 2000. Owned by the […]
Shake up in Turkish media
According to local reports, a government-owned body known as the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) has seized the assets of Medya Yahin Holding, Turkey’s second largest media company. Medya Yahin has been effectively controlled under licence by Turgay Ciner since 2003, and the TMSF’s action follows an investigation into secret contracts he allegedly signed with […]