Russia Threatens Foreign Media Ownership With New Rules
President Vladimir Putin signed a law today curbing foreign ownership in Russian media, shrugging off criticism that the Kremlin is undermining the independent press in a swipe at global publishers and broadcasters.
The law requires Russian media with foreign owners to reduce non-Russian ownership to 20 percent by the end of 2016 after amending constituent documents by February of that year. The Vedomosti daily, published jointly by the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal, and Axel Springer SEs Forbes Russia are the biggest independent media outlets in the country.
Since becoming president in 2000, Putin has brought major television stations under state control, pushing opposition discourse toward the Internet. This year, as geopolitical tensions flared over the conflict in Ukraine, Putin has tightened control over the World Wide Web and media.
This is another step toward closing Russia, isolating its information space and removing elites from criticism, Nikolay Petrov, a political science professor at the Higher School of Economics School in Moscow, said by phone. Vedomosti and Forbes have been the two remaining strongholds that could afford criticism toward Putins elite and havent agreed to compromise with the Kremlin.
The law also threatens to squeeze owners of entertainment television in Russia, including operators CTC Media Inc. (CTCM) and Walt Disney Co. (DIS), cable TV channels such as Discovery Communications Inc. (DISCA) and publishers of glossy magazines, including Sanoma OYJ (SAA1V), Hearst Corp. and Conde Nast.
Communications Minister Nikolay Nikiforov met with executives from media with foreign shareholders last week and agreed to form a working group on how to comply with the new law.
Hearst Shkulev Media, which publishes Elle and Maxim magazines in Russia, will need to amend its shareholder structure to bring its editorial group in compliance with the new requirements, co-owner Viktor Shkulev said. Still, the company is seeking to keep Hearsts participation in other business areas, he said.
CTC Media may need to either delist shares in the U.S. or buy back shares to comply with the law, Vedomosti reported Sept. 26. The company said last week its studying options to defend its shareholders and comply with the legislation at the same time. The Russian unit of Discovery declined to comment last week. Disneys local office couldnt be reached for comment today.
The law was drafted sloppily, Petrov said, adding that glossy magazines and entertainment TV channels will probably be exempted. The Kremlin was aiming to tighten control not over them, but over socio-political media.
To contact the reporter on this story: Ilya Khrennikov in Moscow at ikhrennikov@bloomberg.net
Read more here:
Russia Threatens Foreign Media Ownership With New Rules
- Bitfocus Buttons Enterprise Edition Unveiled at IBC2025 with Advanced Features - Digital Studio India - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Assembly Launches 'Assembly Control' to Elevate Brand Safety, Suitability, and Campaign Performance in Programmatic Media - Yahoo Finance - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Bluesky Gives Users More Control Over their Notifications - Social Media Today - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Spin Control: Media struggles after Trump swears with cameras rolling - The Spokesman-Review - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Beyond banks and brokers: All about decentralized finance (DeFi) - Britannica - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- The Future of Crypto Payroll Security: Bitchat and Decentralized Messaging - OneSafe - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Paradigm leads $11.5 million funding round in Kuru Labs, a decentralized exchange blending CLOBs and AMMs - The Block - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Decentralized Payroll: The Future of Work - OneSafe - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Jack Dorsey tests Bitchat decentralized messaging without internet - Cointelegraph - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- CrossFis Haley Cromer on Bridging Traditional Finance and Web3 for a Decentralized Future - BlockTelegraph - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- India's Crypto Tax: Navigating New Norms with Decentralized Solutions - OneSafe - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Turkey Tightens Its Grip on Crypto: What It Means for Decentralized Exchanges - OneSafe - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Spheron and AIxBlock Unite to Democratize Decentralized AI - CoinTrust - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- The Role of Web3 in Shaping NFT Marketplace Opportunities - Vocal - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- BNB Adds Centralized Features, But Lightchain AI Adds Decentralized Incentives That Drive New Demand - Modern Diplomacy - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Taiko and Nethermind Partner to Enhance Ethereum Rollup Infrastructure - Blockchain News - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- The Rise of Decentralized Stablecoins: Can They Replace Centralized Counterparts in 2025? - Vocal - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- On MSNBC's Deadline: White House, Angelo Carusone highlights how Trump is losing control of narrative dominance due to "fractures" in... - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Assembly Control Transforms Programmatic Advertising with Revolutionary Brand Safety Platform - Stock Titan - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Now, United States Border Control Scrutinizes Social Media: For The Travelers To The United States from France, Spain, and Beyond, Here Is All You... - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Assembly Launches 'Assembly Control' to Elevate Brand Safety, Suitability, and Campaign Performance in Programmatic Media - Macau Business - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- Breaking the Studio Social Media Blackout: Caylee Cowan Takes Creative Control and Financial Freedom with Fanfix - Silicon UK - June 28th, 2025 [June 28th, 2025]
- Aleema's control over PTI social media makes her all-powerful within Imran-founded party - Geo News - June 26th, 2025 [June 26th, 2025]
- Tuenti social media co-founder takes control of Puerto Bans bullring with plans to demolish it - Sur in English - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- InMobi Advertising Unveils Mobile-First Curation Platform Empowering All Media Buyers with Precision, Transparency, and Control - Passionate In... - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Trump takes control of media cycle with travel ban, Harvard visa restriction, Biden investigation policy spree - Washington Examiner - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- Pushed Out and Unfiltered: Joy Reid, Misogynoir, Media Control,and the Fear of a Black Womans Voice - Daily Kos - June 7th, 2025 [June 7th, 2025]
- GitGuardian urges shift to machine identity control - SC Media - May 11th, 2025 [May 11th, 2025]
- Opinion: Its time to lose control - Main Street Media of Tennessee - May 8th, 2025 [May 8th, 2025]
- Opinion | How a Professional Bully Is Winning Control of the Media - Common Dreams - April 30th, 2025 [April 30th, 2025]
- Social Media, Social Control, and the Politics of Public Shaming - - Political Science Now - April 21st, 2025 [April 21st, 2025]
- Tariff saga creates a meme war on social media, making it difficult for brands to 'control the message' - Digiday - April 21st, 2025 [April 21st, 2025]
- Conservatives are limiting media access to Poilievre. Is it helping or hurting him? - CBC - April 12th, 2025 [April 12th, 2025]
- Robert W. McChesney, who warned of corporate media control, dies at 72 - Editor and Publisher - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez Sounds Alarm Over Trump Administrations Absolute Pattern of Censorship and Control - Variety - April 10th, 2025 [April 10th, 2025]
- 'Attack lined up': Grenon says he offered compromise but believes NZME board has 'no interest' - NZ Herald - April 8th, 2025 [April 8th, 2025]
- Russia seeks full control of partially occupied Ukrainian regions in talks with US, media reports - Kyiv Independent - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- Navigating the digital world without letting it control you. - Psychology Today - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- ANZ Digital Padlock to give customers real-time control in fight against fraud and scams - ANZ - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Trump Handpicking Reporters and Bezos Partisan Shift: A Trend in Media Control - MSN - March 13th, 2025 [March 13th, 2025]
- Spains New Media Law Sparks Fears of Censorship and State Control - The European Conservative - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- We dont feel we have control: How social media algorithms have warped our attention spans - MSNBC - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- White House takes control of the press pool covering Trump - Reuters - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- White House takes control of the press pool covering Trump - Reuters - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- We dont feel we have control: How social media algorithms have warped our attention spans - MSNBC - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Reuters and Associated Press among outlets barred from Trumps first cabinet meeting - Semafor - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Reuters and Associated Press among outlets barred from Trumps first cabinet meeting - Semafor - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- White House seizes control of press pool, will decide which outlets cover events with president - POLITICO - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- White House seizes control of press pool, will decide which outlets cover events with president - POLITICO - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Epson And Show Sage At USITT 2025 Showcasing New 4K Projection With New Media Server And Control Tech - Live Design - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Epson And Show Sage At USITT 2025 Showcasing New 4K Projection With New Media Server And Control Tech - Live Design - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- White House takes control of picking media who cover Trump - El Paso Inc. - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- White House takes control of picking media who cover Trump - El Paso Inc. - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Trump administration to take control of media access at White House - New Straits Times - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- USAID spent millions of dollars to promote media control through Internews which is linked to India based Factshala - Organiser - February 16th, 2025 [February 16th, 2025]
- Inaccurate reporting on foot and mouth disease controls - Defra in the media - February 16th, 2025 [February 16th, 2025]
- Russian forces take control of two settlements in eastern Ukraine, Media - APA - February 16th, 2025 [February 16th, 2025]
- TikTok's woes in the United States highlight the 'Godfather' battle to control social media - ABC News - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Jesse Watters: Air traffic control was "unable to meet their own DEI quotas, and thats what is leading to staffing shortages" - Media... - February 5th, 2025 [February 5th, 2025]
- Hive to launch Beeblade Nexus media control engine - Installation and AV Technology Europe - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- Pakistan introduces law allowing government to block platforms, imprison users for spreading 'disinformat - The Times of India - January 27th, 2025 [January 27th, 2025]
- This little media control button is the gadget I can't live without - MSN - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- Effective role of media is a must for tobacco control, experts say - bdnews24.com - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- Effective media role vital for tobacco control: Experts - United News of Bangladesh - UNB - January 22nd, 2025 [January 22nd, 2025]
- How Government & Legacy Media CONTROL What We Think - iHeartRadio - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- SNL kinda banned this 1998 'Schoolhouse Rock' parody warning about corporate media control - Upworthy - December 30th, 2024 [December 30th, 2024]
- Palestinian Authority: Jews Lied About Oct. 7 Because They Control the Media - Algemeiner - December 30th, 2024 [December 30th, 2024]
- NDCs control of major media houses gave them edge in 2024 polls Bawumia - Adomonline - December 22nd, 2024 [December 22nd, 2024]
- Hallmark Insights to Tackle the Debate on Social Media Management and Control in Organizations - PC Tech Magazine - December 14th, 2024 [December 14th, 2024]
- Rupert Murdochs bid to change familys trust over Fox News media empire control is rejected - Washington Times - December 10th, 2024 [December 10th, 2024]
- Rupert Murdoch loses battle to control succession to his media empire - The Guardian - December 10th, 2024 [December 10th, 2024]
- Journalist Abducted in Guinea Amid Military's Increasing Control Over Media - Oneindia - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- Aleppo and Idlib Under Opposition Control, With Eyes on Hama - The Media Line - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- Remilekun Dosumu takes the helm as Head of Media Buying & Control at PHD Nigeria - Marketing Edge - December 5th, 2024 [December 5th, 2024]
- Media reports US Republicans regaining control of House of Representatives - MENAFN.COM - November 14th, 2024 [November 14th, 2024]
- Social media misinformation is scaring women about birth control - STAT - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- The (Lack Of) Science Behind Social Media Claims Of Weather Control - Forbes - October 14th, 2024 [October 14th, 2024]
- No, the government is not controlling the weather. "It's so stupid, it's got to stop," Biden says - CBS News - October 14th, 2024 [October 14th, 2024]
- Column: Media tries to control the narrative | Aiken Standard - The Post and Courier - October 12th, 2024 [October 12th, 2024]
- DoubleVerify To Introduce Pre-Screen Content Control On Meta, Strengthening Brand Safety, Suitability, Media Performance - Business - October 12th, 2024 [October 12th, 2024]