MOSCOW, Nov. 18, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CTC Media, Inc. (CTC Media, or the "Company") (Nasdaq:CTCM), a leading Russian independent media company, has appointed Elmira Makhmutova to serve as Head of the CTC Channel, effective January 1, 2015. Ms. Makhmutova will replace Viacheslav Murugov, who will continue to serve an advisor to the Chief Executive Officer of CTC Media.
Mr. Murugov, who is currently Chief Content Officer of CTC Media and Head of the CTC Channel, will become the head of a new production company specializing in multiformat content and the most popular types of entertaining TV programs on January 1, 2015. Mr. Murugov will combine his new strategically important position with work for CTC Media as an Adviser to the CEO of CTC Media, which will both help to ensure a smooth transition and enable CTC Media to continue to benefit from Mr. Murugov's production expertise.
Before the changes come into effect, Viacheslav Murugov will remain Chief Content Officer of CTC Media and Head of CTC Channel, while Elmira Makhmutova will continue to be Deputy CEO for Strategic Marketing of CTC Media.
Yuliana Slashcheva, CEO of CTC Media: "I am grateful to Viacheslav for his ten years of brilliant work for CTC Media and especially for the last 18 months of our cooperation, and I am convinced that his achievements as the head and co-owner of a new production house will be equally impressive. Viacheslav has done a great deal for the CTC Channel, serving as its head and the person who has inspired the team for many years. As our Chief Content Officer, Viacheslav has created some of most successful CTC projects. Our cooperation will continue, as our audience wants new high-quality Russian content, and Viacheslav is one of the strongest producers in the business."
Commenting on the appointment of Elmira Makhmutova, Yuliana Slashcheva, CEO of CTC Media, stated: "At present, head of a TV channel is mainly, if not primarily, a specialist in marketing whose task is to find the programs and genres which the viewers will be interested in. The position of Head of the Channel requires detailed knowledge of the TV channel, its structure, its audience preferences and the nature of content production. Elmira has worked for CTC Media since 2008 and knows the channel and the company itself very well, so she is the best candidate for this position. I think that Elmira is one of the best specialists in marketing on the TV market, and I expect that this appointment will strengthen the position of the channel and the entire company on the market."
"I am very grateful to Yuliana Slachsheva for the confidence she has in me. It is a great responsibility for me to head CTC channel. I am looking forward to taking on the task of keeping the best of what has been created by Viacheslav Murugov and continue to strengthen positions of the channel on market and provide quality development of the content production system," said Elmira Makhmutova.
"I have seen much while working in CTC Media for ten years. I am grateful for this experience and want to say thanks to the whole team of CTC Media: this is one of the best teams I have ever worked with. I am sure the company will continue to grow, keep up with the times, and stay ahead of its competitors. I have known and worked with Elmira Makhmutova for many years. She has long worked in CTC Media and for the last seven years she has promoted the company's brands, including CTC TV channel's brands. And this is a big joint activity of all team members, what allowed Elmira to be involved into the channels's work as deeply as possible. I not only support the choice of the company to appoint Elmira the CEO of CTC channel, but I will work to ensure a smooth transition and the effective operation of the production unit," said Viacheslav Murugov.
Note to Editors:
Elmira Makhmutova
Elmira Makhmutova was appointed as CTC Media's Chief Marketing Officer in January 2013. Ms. Makhmutova joined CTC Media in 2008 as CTC Marketing Director. She later served as CTC Media Strategic On-air Marketing Director and DTV On-air Promotion Department Director, and headed the Peretz marketing department from 2011 through 2012.
Before joining CTC Media, Ms. Makhmutova was Promotion Director at NTV from 2004 to 2007. She was also a producer of the morning broadcasting at Channel One in 2003-2004. From 1999 to 2003, she studied and worked in the USA in various marketing, advertising and PR companies. From 1997 to 1999, she worked at NTV as a correspondent and later as an announcement editor.
She graduated with a distinction from the Department of Journalism at Lomonosov Moscow State University in 1995, and acquired her PhD in Foreign Media and Journalism in 1997, also achieving a distinction. She also studied at Belmont University (USA) from 1993-1994, majoring in Broadcasting.
Elmira Makhmutova has been awarded a number of prestigious TV prizes, including: a "TEFI-2010" award in the "Best TV promotion" category, as well as three gold, two silver and two bronze awards at the Promax&BDA international television promotion and design competition in 2007, 2011, and 2012.
About CTC Media, Inc.
CTC Media is a leading Russian independent media company, with operations throughout Russia and elsewhere in the CIS. It operates three free-to-air television networks in Russia – CTC, Domashny and Peretz – as well as Channel 31 in Kazakhstan and a TV company in Moldova, with a combined potential audience of over 150 million people. The international pay-TV version of the CTC channel is available in North America, Europe, Central Asia, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, the Middle East and Kyrgyzstan. Peretz is also available in Belarus and Kyrgyzstan. CTC Media also has a number of digital entertainment media assets: videomore.ru, domashniy.ru,ctc.ru, peretz.ru. The Company's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "CTCM". For more information on CTC Media, please visit www.ctcmedia.ru.
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