NTV channel has its director dismissed. The end of infortainment policy?

One of the most popular Russian TV channels – NTV – has new CEO.
Deputy Chairman of Russian TV Nikolai Kulistikov  comes back to NTV as its director. The Board of Gazprom- Media company(the owner of NTV) made this decision on July 5. Former NTV director Nikolai Senkevich will become the general director of Gazprom-media.

Former NTV director Nikolai Senkevich was in this post for about a year and is remembered mainly by dismissing popular reporter Leonid Parfenov.

When Mr. Senkevich was appointed the director for NTV, some employees were indignant. Leonid Parfenov was among them, but later he said that “Nikolai Senkevich managed to settle the conflicts inside the NTV staff and brought peace”. As the director of Gazprom-Media, Nikolai Senkevich will stay involved in NTV.

Vladimir Kulistikov is famous with his rich experience in TV reporting and his frequent leaving NTV for the state TV companies. One thing for sure: Mr. Kulistikov has come to NTV for a long time now. The new director has big professional experience, including the experience with NTV. In 1996-2001 he was the anchor of “Hero of the Day” information program, then he was the new editor of NTV, after that – the first deputy of general director-chief of the news service.  For this reason, the new director can improve the information service of NTV and change the current course for infortainment the channel is pursuing.

There is a possibility that dismissed reporter Leonid Parfenov will come back to NTV. By the way, Parfenov left NTV several times. Before being dismissed in June 2004, he left NTV in February 2003, but then came back.

New director Vladimir Kulistikov said to the NTV staff that he intends to preserve and develop the unique features of NTV channel (high intellectual level of its reporting is the main of them).

Ksenia Fokina