GAZPROM TAKES CONTROL OVER MEDIA-MOST

A fresh consent agreement has been signed between Gazprom-Media and Media-Most. This time, Vladimir Gusinski was absent being wanted by federal law enforcement agencies. This very fact had earlier served as a pretext for the annulment of the agreement concluded by the companies earlier this week. “The agreement has become stricter, signed by the parties whose competence is out of doubt, and it maximally protects economic interests of Gazprom,” gas monopoly spokesmen say. By and large, the agreement brings Media-Most’s companies under Gazprom’s control, the latter receiving their controlling shares. Gazprom-Media will control 60% of NTV shares and 50% plus one shares in other Media-Most’s companies, Alfred Kokh, director general of Gazprom-Media, is quoted by Interfax as saying.