OREANDA-NEWS. February 22, 2012. CTC Media, Inc. (“CTC Media” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: CTCM), Russia’s leading independent media company has announced that its wholly owned in-house advertising sales agency Everest Sales has become a member of the Association of Communication Agencies of Russia (AKAR). The decision was taken at the most recent meeting of the AKAR Council at the beginning of February. Everest Sales is now a national member of the Association, reported the press-centre of CTC Media.

Boris Podolsky, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer of CTC Media: “A civilized advertising market cannot be created in Russia without the participation of AKAR. The Association has made a huge contribution to the development of the advertising industry in the 15 years since it was established, and for us, as a professional player on the ad sales market, it is important to be a member of an organization, which unites around 190 companies. The professional team at Everest Sales has experience, which we are willing to share, and AKAR membership gives us plenty of opportunities for effective cooperation with other market participants to develop joint solutions and suggestions for the further development of the domestic advertising industry.”

Yulia Moskvitina, Chief Commercial Officer of CTC Media, General Director of Everest Sales: “CTC Media’s in-house advertising sales agency Everest Sales was formed from the commercial branch of the company and has existed as an independent business unit for around 18 months. Most of the advertisers we deal with on a daily basis are also AKAR members. Therefore, it is very important for our team to work closely with our partners, to keep a finger on the pulse of the media industry and take a proactive approach to developing initiatives that will facilitate the further development of the advertising market. AKAR membership offers many opportunities to this end.”

About CTC Media, Inc.
CTC Media is a leading independent media company in Russia, with operations throughout Russia and elsewhere in the CIS. It operates three free-to-air television networks in Russia – CTC, Domashny and DTV (has been operating under the “Peretz” brand and logo from October 2011) – as well as Channel 31 in Kazakhstan and a TV company in Moldova, with a combined potential audience of over 150 million people. The international pay-TV version of the CTC channel is available in North America, Europe, North Africa, Middle East and Central Asia. CTC Media also has its own TV content production capabilities through its subsidiary Story First Production. The Company’s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “CTCM”. For more information on CTC Media, please visit www.ctcmedia.ru.

About Association of Communication Agencies of Russia (AKAR)

AKAR represents the interests of the key players of the marketing communications sector, adapting activities based on the main objectives of the industry. The Association’s members offer the following advertising and marketing communications services: developing and creating advertising materials, media planning, media buying, strategic planning, sales of advertising services on various media and the Internet, PR, sales promotion, product and service promotion including POS, direct marketing, event marketing, incentive marketing, integrated marketing communications, sponsorship, marketing and other research, design and packaging, branding, POS design etc. The Association currently includes over 99 “national” advertising companies, 61 “local” companies, as well as more than 26 agencies in the North West. For more information on AKAR, please visit www.akarussia.ru.