<SANITIZED> THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TV-6 AND THE RUSSIAN ADVERTISING MONOPOLY VIDEO INTERNATIONAL: DESIRES OF MIKHAIL LESIN TO ESTABLISH HIMSELF AS A MEDIA MAGNATE

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06877053
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: July 13, 2023
• Document Release Date: May 10, 2022
• Case Number: F-2020-00968
• Publication Date: October 19, 2001

Approved for Release: 2022/03/09 C06877053
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Classified By: UNSPECIFIED
Classification Reason: UNSPECIFIED
Declassify On: X1
UBJ: THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TV-6 AND THE RUSSIAN
ADVERTISING MONOPOLY VIDEO INTERNATIONAL; DESIRES
OF MIKHAIL LESIN TO ESTABLISH HIMSELF AS A MEDIA
MAGNATE
Identifiers:
Dates:
Date Acquired:
Date Published: 19-Oct-2001 22:57:00
Date Received: 19-Oct-2001 23:59:37
Coverage:
CIA Country Code: RUS
Region: EURASIA, RUSSIA
Publisher:
Agency Acronym: CIA
Office Name: NCS
Contact For
EVALUATIONS, AND REQUIREMENTS WELCOME.
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COMMENTS, (b)(3)
Warnings:TS7711F)-- CENTRAL
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED
INTELLIGENCE
(U) CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
(U) INF9RMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE REPORT CLASS S
E�ET--NOFORN DIST: 19 OCTOBER 2001
(U) REPORT CLASS S E E T--NOT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS.
iokLL
PORTIONS CARRY CLASSIFICATION AND CONTROLS OF OVERALL DOCUMENT. END OF
M E S SAG ESt&RE�T,_
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
7111.R.Q (b)(1)
TELEVISION STATION ((TV-6)) WAS PLANNING TO SEVER ITS (b)(3)
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE RUSSIAN ADVERTISING MONOPOLY ((VIDEO INTERNATIONAL)),
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EFFECTIVE 1 JANUARY 2002. THE RELATIONSHIP TV-6 HAS
WITH VIDEO INTERNATIONAL HAS SOURED SINCE RUSSIAN OLIGARCH
VLADIMIR ((GUSINSKIY)) TOOK OVER OPERATIONS OF TV-6 IN THE SUMMER OF 2001.
(S//NF) 2. THE DECISION TO SEVERE TIES WITH VIDEO
INTERNATIONAL WAS MADE AT GUSINSKIY'S REQUEST, AND WAS RETRIBUTION OF
SORTS FOR VIDEO INTERNATIONAL'S DECISION IN EARLY 1999 TO CANCEL A
CONTRACT THE ADVERTISING AGENCY HAD AT THAT TIME WITH GUSINSKIY'S STATION
((NTV)) IN FAVOR OF PROMOTING ADVERTISING ON TV-6. VIDEO
INTERNATIONAL'S 1999 DECISION WAS A KREMLIN-DIRECTED RESPONSE RESULTING
FROM GUSINSKIY'S PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF HIS SUPPORT, THROUGH NTV, IN
FAVOR OF THE CANDIDACY OF MOSCOW MAYOR YURI ULUZHKOV11 FOR THE RUSSIAN
PRESIDENCY I
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
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(S//NF) 3. THE TABLES ARE NOW TURNED (b)(1)
ON VIDEO INTERNATIONAL, AND THAT TV-6 IS ENJOYING A MARKED INCREASE IN (b)(3)
ADVERTISING REVENUES, BASED IN LARGE PART ON (b)(1)
INCREASED RATINGS RESULTING FROM THE TAKEOVER OF NTV BY THE RUSSIAN (b)(3)
GOVERNMENT VIA THE RUSSIAN CONGLOMERATE ((GAZPROM)). (b)(1)
V-6 IS ABLE TO LINE UP ITS OWN ADVERTISING, AND AS OF 1 JANUARY 2002, (b)(3)
WILL NO LONGER EMPLOY THE SERVICES OF VIDEO INTERNATIONAL TO ARRANGE F01-(b)(1)
ADVERTISING FOR TV-6. (b)(3)
(S//NF) 4. RUSSIAN (b)(1)
PRESS MINISTER MIKHAIL ((LESIN)), A FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF THE ADVERTISING (b)(3)
MONOPOLY, DESIRES TO ESTABLISH HIMSELF AS SOMEWHAT OF A MEDIA MAGNATE IN
HIS OWN RIGHT. LESIN'S INTEREST IS IN ACQUIRING (b)(1)
EXISTING MEDIA PROPERTIES DO NOT EXPECT (b)(3)
HIM TO ATTEMPT TO PURCHASE NTV, PRIMARILY BECAUSE THE RUSSIAN TH FVISI01\11
STATION HAS DECLINED IN VALUE SINCE ITS ACQUISITION BY GAZPROM. (b)(1)
LESIN CONTINUES TO HAVE A SPECIAL (b)(3)
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ADVERTISING AGENCY, EVEN THOUGH HE DOES NOT
ACKNOWLEDGE ANY RELATIONSHIP WITH VIDEO INTERNATIONAL. (b)(1)
TEAR LINE (b)(3)
(S//NF)
TEAR LINE
Collection: CC
Creator:
Agency Acronym: CIA
Office Name: NCS
Contact For:
EVALUATIONS, AND REQUIREMENTS WELCOME.
COMMENTS, (b)(3)
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Description: (U) NONE
Distribution List:
Language: en
Precedence: R
Source:
Subject: None
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