Euronews custody
Ranked Among the assets abroad arrested on claims of former Yukos shareholders have owned VGTRK and 7.5% stake in the French Euronews SA, the managing eponymous TV channel, told RBC Russian federal official. The press service of VGTRK confirmed this information.
The French Euronews SA It manages the eponymous TV channel, launched in 1993 and now broadcasters around the clock in 13 languages, including Russian. Programs Euronews, according to his own figures available 425 million households in 158 countries.
The representative of Euronews Sophie Bourget was unable to comment on the request for RBC. Director of GML (formerly Group Menatep Ltd) Tim Osborne, representing former shareholders of Yukos, on Wednesday was unavailable for comment.
Cash on belonging to the Russian state holding shares of the arrest had no effect on the activity or Euronews, no RTR, says a source close to the French broadcaster. But a partner of the law firm King & amp; Spalding Ilya Rachkov notes that the seizure of assets is “at least the inability to dispose of the shares, ie to alienate them, transfer the right of property.” “The rest depends on the decision of the court: arrest may also mean the prohibition to transfer the shares as collateral, they vote, receive dividends on them, and so forth,” – explains the crustacean. The lawyer said that the arrest is easy enough to apply, but you can try to challenge.
Whatever the details of the court decision on dividends to shareholders Euronews and so could not rely. According to the French system of disclosure of information about the companies, the 2014 net loss of broadcaster reached almost € 10,5 million on revenue of € 51 million. In 2013, Euronews has earned € 1,1 million net profit on revenue of almost € 52,5 million. statements of one of the shareholders of France Television channel stated that the company’s loss from participation in Euronews in 2014 amounted to € 1,8 million versus € 0,2 million profit in 2013.
Not for the Russian audience
VGTRK became a shareholder of Euronews in 2001, buying a 1.8% stake in the company. The newspaper “Kommersant” if a deal estimated at $ 250 thousand. In the same year, Euronews began a program broadcast in Russia. In 2004, the share of RTR in Euronews has risen to 16%. The increase in its stake Russian state holding spent about € 3,5 billion, wrote “Kommersant».
«The emergence of a European news channel in the country – it is expedient, necessary for today’s Russia decision. Russia has become an important information component of Europe. Now all my colleagues – the heads of television and radio – may consult, in agreement or not, the news transmitted from Lyon, “- said” Kommersant “after the deal in 2001, the general director of VGTRK Oleg Dobrodeev.
Until July this year, in addition to the shareholders of Euronews RTR were still 19 public or state broadcasting companies in Europe and North Africa, as well as the local authorities of three French regions – Lyon, Rhone department and the region Rhone-Alpes. The largest shareholder was the France Television Service almost 23%. But in the summer of this year, 53% received Euronews Media Globe Networks Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris. For the right to control the capital invested in the Sawiris Euronews € 35 million. The shares of the former owners in proportion declined. RTR Package is now about 7,5%.
Now the main governing body of Euronews – a supervisory board of 15 members, headed by Naguib Sawiris. In VGTRK has one seat on the board, it takes the head of the directorate between Folk relations holding Pyotr Fyodorov, stated on the website Euronews. Supervisory Board is accountable to the Executive Council, which consists of the director general Michael Peters and editorial director Lyuciana Sarbu. The council sets targets management committee, which in addition to Peters and Sarbu included eight top managers of Euronews. Seven out of ten members of the steering committee, including the CEO, nominated teleradikompaniyami – shareholders of the channel.
The Russian Euronews programs spread by a special structure RTR – European broadcaster. She has signed a licensing agreement with Euronews SA to rebroadcast in Russia, and it has a license to broadcast in Moscow on the 34th of television frequencies. In addition, as stated in the financial statements of the company, it has concluded contracts for the distribution of programs Euronews at least 120 cable and satellite operators.
The audience Euronews in Russia is very low. In its target audience – the audience over 18 years – its average share in the January-June amounted to, according to TNS Russia, only 0,2%.
The revenue of the European broadcasting company under RAS in 2014 amounted to 140.7 mln. (about € 2,8 million at the average exchange rate of the Central Bank over the past year), net profit – 68.6 thousand. rub. (€ 1,3 thous.).
French trace
The arrest of Russian assets abroad became known in mid-June. In particular, in France, was arrested in the bank accounts of the international news agency “Russia today.” In addition, it was reported that in Paris were arrested owned FSUE “Goszagransobstvennost” building, which houses the local office of the agency. At work, “Russia Today” is not affected, then he refined the press-service agency. Later it became known that the accounts were unblocked agency. In addition, it was reported that some provisions from the local authorities in France have received bureaus Tass and RTR. The essence of these requirements was not specified.
The arrest of Russian assets abroad is possible in connection with the enforcement of the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague. In July 2014 he ordered Russia to pay you the former Yukos shareholders $ 50 billion in compensation for the expropriation of the oil companies de facto. Russia has not recognized the decision.
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