Rostelecom creates new media unit

Russian service provider Rostelecom has created a new department to manage media assets headed by Andrey Yurevich, responsible for all TV and internet products including the Zabava.ru portal.

Yurevich was apponted director of media products at Rostelecom last year, having previously worked for rival VimpelCom.

Rostelecom had 6.2 million pay TV subscribers across Russia at the end of June, of which about one million take a digital interactive service.

Separately, Russian media reports that Vadim Semenov, currently director-general of Svyazinvest and a former university classmate of Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev, is expected to be name as CEO of Rostelecom, replacing Alexander Provotorov. Semenov may combine the two roles when the companies are merged next year, according to newspaper Kommersant.