Vladimir Kulistikov may leave the post of general director of NTV

Sources of Radio Liberty in the company itself do not consider Kulistikov’s departure by the issue finally resolved

Russian media reported on Wednesday that NTV General Director Vladimir Kulistikov, who heads the TV channel for more than 10 years, would leave his post in the near future.

According to the Vedomosti newspaper, Kulistikov’s departure is related to the financial problems of the television company. In particular, the Gazprom-Media holding, which includes NTV, did not approve the required amount of expenses for the production of series and show in the new television season.

At the same time, the Kommersant newspaper, citing its sources, reports that the 63-year-old Kulistikov did not extend the contract with NTV, expired on January 1, 2016, for health reasons. The General Director of the TV channel himself refused to comment on information about his possible resignation.

Sources of Radio Liberty in the company itself do not consider the departure of Kulistikov as a matter of finally resolved. It is known that Kulistikov has serious vision problems, he has been treated abroad for many years. In addition, according to the Radio Liberty interlocutors, the NTV General Director lost an administrative influence, including a direct access to the country's leadership. Information about Kulistikov’s resignation both for health reasons and for a hardware nature in the last two years have appeared repeatedly. The company's management believes that the decision may once again be revised.

The main reason for discontent Kulistikov is the state of affairs in the company NTV. Last fall, there were changes in the leadership of the Gazprom-Media holding:Dmitry Chernyshenko from the Sochi-2014 Organizing Committee was invited to the place of Mikhail Lesin. He instructed the NTV reform to people from his team-in particular, the information broadcasting was entrusted to Alexander Kosterina, who had previously worked as vice president of the Organizing Committee of the Olympiad. However, the reduction in the audience of the TV channel could not be suspended, and experienced professionals began to leave the company.

The interlocutors of the RS also do not exclude that his relative liberalism could be the reason for the discontent of Kulistikov: the general director balanced between different groups of political influence, at one time relied on Dmitry Medvedev.

Kulistikov headed NTV since July 2004. In 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded him the Order of Merit to the Fatherland II degree. Thus, the president noted the work of the channel, which, in his opinion, “objectively covered events in Crimea” in February-March last year. From 1993 to 1996, Vladimir Kulistikov worked on Radio Liberty, was the editor -in -chief of the Moscow Bureau of the radio station.