His predecessor Mikhail Dunaev will focus on cinema

As Kommersant has learned, the general director of Sistema Mass Media (SMM), which manages the media assets of AFK Sistema, Mikhail Dunaev is leaving his post. He was offered to head the film studio Thema Production, which will be separated from SMM into a separate company. The SMM will be headed by the ex-president of the largest cellular retailer Euroset, Eldar Razroev, who yesterday signed a contract with Sistema.

President of AFK Sistema Alexander Goncharuk told Kommersant that Sistema Mass Media will be headed by Eldar Razroev in the near future. He explained that the film studio Thema Production (it is managed by SMM) will be separated into a separate company, which will be headed by Mikhail Dunaev. “Thema Production has grown to a size where it can become an independent company,” Mr. Goncharuk explained the decision. According to him, Mr. Razroev signed a contract with Sistema yesterday morning. The task of the ex-president of Euroset as CEO of SMM will be “to develop the company’s network structure in the regions and acquire new assets.” Eldar Razroev himself did not confirm or deny this information yesterday, and Mr. Dunaev refused to comment.

Owned by AFK Sistema, Sistema Mass Media OJSC manages Stream-TV CJSC (Internet and cable TV provider in 34 cities, 1.5 million clients) and Stream-Content CJSC (production of thematic TV channels). Also owns 48.1% of Comstar-Direct CJSC (Internet provider), 50% of the shares of Kosmos-TV CJSC, 75% of the Thema Production film studio, the Maxima advertising agency, controls the Rossiya and Literaturnaya Gazeta newspapers. . Revenue in 2006: $106.7 million.

Experts interviewed by Kommersant call the separation of Thema Production from SMM management logical. “SMM is developing all of AFK’s media assets, and they are multi-disciplinary. It was decided to restructure the business, and Mr. Razroev will do this. And Mr. Dunaev is a creative person, the post of head of the film studio suits him,” said Yuliy Matevosov, head of the analytical department at Dresdner Kleinwort. Market participants have different assessments of the appointment of Eldar Razroev, calling the launch of a virtual operator in the Volga region by Euroset mainly to his merit. “This experience may be useful to him in the development of mobile television, promoted by SMM. In addition, his candidacy also meets the task of acquiring new assets: with the participation of Mr. Razroev, Euroset acquired the Ultra and Techmarket networks,” noted the J`Son analyst Partners Sergey Savin. Managing partner of iKS-Consulting Tatyana Tolmacheva emphasized that for Eldar Razroev this is a completely new area of activity and success depends on how quickly he can adapt: “The regional assets of Stream-TV are not consolidated. Apparently, that’s why AFK hired a manager who will focus on the strategic development of the company."

Inna Kommersant-Erokhina

"Mass Media System" will be headed by Eldar Razroev