Putin closes the Echo of Moscow

It happened after Putin's complaint that his ' watered diarrhea '.
Holding Gazprom -Media ... This was announced by the chief editor of radio station Alexei Venediktov, transfers NEWSru. com.
Glavred said that he and his deputy Vladimir Varfolomeev leave the Board of Directors. ... Now let it squirm out there ', - Venediktov commented on Twitter. General Director Yuri Fedutin station confirmed that there will be a member of the Board.
Rearrangements of the board of directors ' Echo ' had to comment on the press -secretary of Vladimir Putin - Prime Minister had only recently lamented that radio Venediktov pours his ' diarrhea in the morning until the evening '. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman premier expressed confidence that the decision to dissolve the board of directors can not be associated with criticism of the station from Putin. ' I still do not know exactly what happened. Most likely, this intra- business, and need to receive comments from the owner - Gazprom - Media ' - said Sands.
An informed source ' Interfax ' also expressed doubt that the personnel changes associated with the critical position ' Ekho Moskvy ' to the authorities. ... ...

He pointed out the place of retired independent directors have already been proposed nominations, and they agreed upon by both parties.

The application ' Echo ': Gazprom acts on orders from above.

Soon the station issued a communiqué in connection with the permutations of the Board of Directors. It is reported that the holding Gazprom -Media ... ' Journalists shareholders radio station Ekho Moskvy (34 % of the voting shares) expressed his bewilderment that decision. After the annual meeting, where the campaign should be replaced by CD, to be held in June, and such a hurry need of explanation ', - said in a statement.

... Makovsky, and E. Yasin, who helped develop 11 years ' Ekho Moskvy ' - said in a communique. - We believe that their removal from the Board of Directors is unfair. We intend to initiate a change in the charter of radio station, where are going to make an observation (Public ) Board, headed by Alexander Makovsky and Yevgeny Yasin, so they can continue their work on the development of ' Echo '.

' Nevertheless, we agreed with Gazprom -Media ' single joint list of the new Board of Directors, which will vote at the shareholders' meeting of March 29, 2012. The joint list, we kept the institution of independent ( non- shareholders ), directors, supporting the candidacy of Vadim Semenov, general director of Svyazinvest and Eugene Trubina, former CEO Lenizdat '.

' We understand that Gazprom -Media ' could not respond to the criticism of high officials of the Russian Federation for radio - radio shows staff. - We assure our listeners that the editorial policy of ...

' Kirdyk ' or ' no kirdyk '. Venediktov of the chief editor is not going away.

' The question of the resignation of the editor did not put ' - said Alexei Venediktov in his microblog. ' During the month and a half of negotiations with Gazprom -Media ... ' According to the charter of radio station, I had two years before the next election, will be editor in chief ' - said Venediktov.

One of the leading Ekho Moskvy Ganapolsky Matthew wrote on Twitter about what is happening, ' Echo kirdyk? . Post Venediktov - a statement of changes in the Board of Directors. But the team will not split '.

But independent director ' Echo ' and the deputy head of the Research Centre of Private Law under the Russian president, Alexander Makovsky, who demanded the resignation of the controlling shareholder, did not rule out that the editorial policy is now changed. ' Of course, when the board of directors out of the two leading employee Ekho Moskvy, this may entail a certain degree of change in editorial policy ', - he said.

According to Makovsky, the Board initiated the change was not the Gazprom -Media Holding ', which owns 66% stake in the Echo of Moscow ' and ' one of the minority, some small company '.

Political background to the incident saw and other independent radio station director, scientific director of the Higher School of Economics Yevgeny Yasin. ...

' First, can say: Come on, keep on. But further changes - Yasin said about possible changes in the management station. - Venediktov is not one of those people who agree to take a seat without having to pursue policies that it considers proper '.

Yevgeny Yasin, also announced that he accepted the offer to head the Board of Public Radio: ...

Nothing but political considerations.

Many, however, due to rearrangements predict ' Ekho Moskvy ' bleak future. For example, one of the founders ' League of voters ' and the well-known journalist Leonid Parfenov saw in the situation of political overtones. ' Never editorial changes in the Russian media were not associated with anything other than political reasons ' - said Parfenov.

' Venediktov got a great reputation as an organizer of the broadcast, as the creator of a new style based on trust, sincerity, and an unusual manner for our radio conversation. On the other hand, he actively intervened in the life of society, and gave free comments' - said ' Interfax ' Chairman of the Russian Union of Journalists, Vsevolod Bogdanov. On the possible politicization of the decision on the resignation of Venediktov he decided not to apply, noting only that it is ' not clear ' - ' especially in terms of cost - Ekho Moskvy flourished, journalism and media business and successfully co-existed in parallel '.

' I think ' Ekho Moskvy ' for some time remain ' Echo of Moscow '. It is impossible to imagine that all this will break and do something else ' - considers the head of the Union of Journalists.

Putin on the ' Echo of Moscow ': ' You do watering diarrhea in the morning until the evening '.

OAO Gazprom -Media is the controlling shareholder of the radio stations - it owns 66 % stake in Ekho Moskvy. In the past, many critics have repeatedly pointed out the radio station that the beneficial owner of an opposition radio is the Russian state, and the harsh statements in its live sound as long as it is prepared to tolerate power.

Until now, the country's leadership seems to be ready to tolerate. Despite the sharp criticism of government and public policy, ' Ekho Moskvy ' does not shy away from even high-ranking officials, and Alexei Venediktov often meets with representatives of the tandem - President and Prime Minister. In late January, for example, he participated in a conversation the editors of the leading Russian mass media with Dmitry Medvedev. Venediktov then presented the outgoing president of the magazine ' Amateur '.

Last December, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin congratulated Venediktov 56 th anniversary of its activity and gave a very flattering assessment: ... You were a great professional school, developed a distinctive, unique architectural style. With your judgments, estimates and projections at times it could be argued. But they are certainly interesting and nontrivial '.

But already a month later, meeting with chief editors of the Russian media, Putin spoke about the ... It all started with the fact that the Prime Minister spoke about the American missile defense system, and recalled once they have heard the radio debate on this issue. ' Well, this bredyatina such nonsense, I do not know where they are taken ', - said Putin.