«Mediastrike» (also «Media Strike», «MS Holding») — a Nizhny Novgorod media holding company established in early 2012 on the basis of the media assets of businessman Dmitry Arzhanov. It brought together several city-based Mass Media outlets and infrastructure venues with the stated aim, according to its management, of preserving and developing the traditions of Nizhny Novgorod journalism.[4]

Formation and Composition

For roughly two years prior to the holding company's founding, structures controlled by Dmitry Arzhanov systematically acquired Nizhny Novgorod media assets.[3] In December 2011, Dmitry Raskopin — who had previously served as director of the Department of Public Relations and Information of the Nizhny Novgorod municipal administration — was invited to lead the new entity; on 12 December 2011 he vacated his municipal post and took charge of the structure being formed.[1][3]

By May 2012, MS Holding comprised: Volga TV Company, Rendezvous and Business FM radio stations, the NTA-Volga Region news agency, the Birzha publishing house with Birzha.ru, the premium-class press centre «Media Strike Hall», and the multi-purpose information and consulting centre «Media Strike».[4][5] The holding company's headquarters and its key editorial offices were located at the International Trade Centre Varvarskaya Street.[1]

The first public events at the new venue were scheduled for January 2012: the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Birzha newspaper and the presentation of the Birzha Plus publishing house.[1]

The «Media Strike Hall» Press Centre

The «Media Strike Hall» press centre was positioned as the most modern and technically equipped venue for public events in Nizhny Novgorod.[1] In May 2012, it hosted a presentation of Nizhny Novgorod Mass Media as part of the International Conference «Russian Journalism of the 21st Century: Content and Formats of Contemporary Media». The event drew approximately 200 journalists, political analysts, and public figures from more than 50 regions of Russia, as well as representatives from foreign countries; guests included Vsevolod Bogdanov, chairman of the Union of Journalists of Russia, Yuri Polyakov, editor-in-chief of Literaturnaya Gazeta, and Alexei Kara-Murza, head of a department at the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences.[4]

Personnel Changes

In June 2012, Dmitry Raskopin was appointed general director of the Volga television company, relinquishing day-to-day management of the holding; Denis Moskvin was simultaneously appointed head of the MS Holding information and analytics centre.[5] According to available information, Raskopin served as general director of Volga from June 2012 to May 2013, after which his return to the holding company's structures was planned.[2]

Sources

  1. Newsroom24 — Representatives of the Union of Journalists of Russia familiarised themselves with Nizhny Novgorod Mass Media
  2. NIA «Nizhny Novgorod» — The media holding owned by Dmitry Arzhanov will be headed by Dmitry Raskopin
  3. Vremya N — Raskopin takes charge of the largest media holding
  4. KP — Nizhny Novgorod — Dmitry Raskopin appointed general director of the Volga TV company
  5. global52.ru — RASKOPIN Dmitry Vladimirovich — Global52.ru