On 7 June, Maer Group LLC and MIC Izvestia LLC entered into an agreement on information cooperation within the framework of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.


	 In other words, the organisations plan to develop a completely new format of out-of-home media environment, which will enable viewers to learn about the most important socio-political, economic and socio-cultural events of the country right on the streets of the city.


	 “Izvestia TV channel, which is part of our holding, is one of the two most popular news channels in Russia. Its distinctive broadcasting format enables viewers to access news from anywhere in the world, regardless of their communication preferences. When creating the channel, we worked to ensure that information could be easily received in noisy public places, which means that the presentation had to be concise, with concise and clear infographics. And this format turned out to be in high demand, and in the first few months we outperformed our main competitors. Now we are visible in airports, railway stations, municipal institutions, offices and hotels. Konstantin Valeryevich's suggestion about more active use of outdoor advertising, which he expressed at the RSPP (The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs) congress in April this year, was in line with our vision of further development. We would like to express our gratitude to MAER Media Holding for providing us with the opportunity to realise this ambitious project. I am confident that our joint media product will gain recognition and prove beneficial for the country,” said Vladimir Tyulin, General Director of Multimedia Information Centre Izvestia LLC.


	 In accordance with the terms of the agreement, Izvestia will provide exclusive access to tailored information content, based on video materials enhanced with infographics and text.


	 “MAER Media Holding, as a new media, has gone beyond the usual advertising media facades. Our street screens provide Russians with a convenient source of information on current affairs at the national and international levels. This is a big step towards the entire media sphere. Viewers follow socially significant events on television, in social networks, and now also on high-tech media screens. We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Izvestia on the development of a new broadcasting format. Furthermore, our inaugural experience in this field was a resounding success. The joint broadcast of the Moscow Victory Parade on Red Square was seen over 50 million times by residents of Moscow and the Moscow region, St. Petersburg, Voronezh, Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Perm, Novosibirsk, Ufa, Tyumen, Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, Volgograd and Sochi,” said Konstantin Mayor, owner and CEO of MAER Media Holding.


	 In addition, both parties plan to innovate in various areas of joint activities to develop the new format.

Izvestia and Maer Group signed an agreement on the creation and development of a new media environment

National Media Group announces the creation on the basis of STS Media of a new creative association “WHAT TO DO”, a studio for producing animation projects for family and adult audiences, as well as producing cross-media special projects. It was headed by media manager Denis Vsesvyatsky.


	 In his new role, Denis will be responsible for the production and implementation of animation projects aimed at family audiences, with a particular focus on content for adults. He will also oversee the production of special projects.


	 Alexander Akopov, Deputy General Director for Entertainment Broadcasting, NMG:


	 “We expect that Denis's expertise will contribute to the growth of the STS animation sector, and that his creative ideas will be in demand across all viewing environments, providing a new impetus to the digital development of STS animation projects. We are confident that his extensive expertise and creative potential will be a valuable asset to NMG, and that he will be able to contribute to our projects in a variety of ways”.


	 &nbsp;


	 Denis Vsesvyatsky, Director of Creative association ‘WHAT TO DO’


	 “Animation today is a platform for communication for people of all ages. Something that can unite adults and children, create a common context and culture. The creative association “WHAT TO DO” will focus on the fact that new animation projects speak the same - modern - language with the audience and set the bar high for imagination. WHAT TO DO is open to collaborate and new ideas with all talented and promising players in the media market and beyond”.


	 Earlier NMG created “ECA”, a laboratory for debutants and students to develop projects for the entertainment and information segments of the holding company's broadcasting, online platforms, as well as feature films for cinema distribution.

Denis Vsesvyatsky has assumed the role of CEO at “WHAT TO DO”

The results of the V National Web Content Awards were announced at a ceremony held on 15 April. A total of 21 nominations were awarded Gagarin prizes this year, across the PROcontent and PROmovement categories.


	 PROmovement category


	 Best poster of a TV series “Ballet” (Wink)




	 PROcontent category


	 Online entertainment show. Travelling


	 Online version of “100 Places to Eat” (STS)




	 Best actor in an online series


	 Nikita Efremov, TV series “The Librarian” (Wink)


	 Ivan Yankovsky, TV series “The Boy’s Word. Blood on the Asphalt” (Wink)




	 Best director of an Internet series


	 Zhora Kryzhovnikov, TV series “The Boy’s Word. Blood on the Asphalt” (Wink)




	 Best producer of the online projects


	 Fyodor Bondarchuk




	 Best online series (episode time more than 24 min.)


	 “The Boy’s Word. Blood on the Asphalt” (Wink)



 The full list is available at <a href="https://premia-w.ru/winnes2024">https://premia-w.ru/winnes2024</a> .

NMG projects won in 7 nominations at the V National Web Content Awards

The Media Telecom Company, a joint venture of National Media Group and Rostelecom, announces the expansion of the company's range of paid thematic channels.


	 Starting from 1 April, a cooking-themed TV channel “Appetitny” became available in Media Telecom's portfolio.


	 “Appetitny” is a thematic entertainment and educational channel that provides viewers with a variety of cooking-related content in different formats: from cooking at home to unusual ways of cooking outdoors. The channel's distinctive approach is to feature recipes shared by popular food bloggers, rather than professional chefs. The content is organised into various thematic categories, including “Cooking at Home”, “Cooking in Nature”, “Cooking in the Air”, “Culinary Lifehacks” and “Unusual Food”. Every day the channel airs a new 4-hour block with original blogger content, as well as in-house produced programmes created exclusively for “Appetitny”.


	 The TV channel “Appetitny” is family-oriented, with a core audience of women aged 35-44.


	 The channel was registered with Roskomnadzor in January 2024. Media Telecom oversees the production, broadcasting and distribution of the channel. Phoenix Film is responsible for the content component, while Synterra Media provides Play out service and ensures the delivery of TV signals to partners across Russia and CIS countries.


	 Alexander Kosarim, CEO of Media Telecom:


	 “It is not forbidden to live with taste. Our new TV channel “Appetitny” will become a reliable assistant in preparing delicious dishes not only in the kitchen, but also outdoors. The foundation of our new entertainment TV channel is the content created by food bloggers, who represent a significant online presence with millions of subscribers. Concurrently, there is a substantial audience that prefers to access contemporary and in-demand culinary content in the conventional TV format. Today MediaTelecom distributes 18 TV channels, covering a range of topics. We are delighted to welcome “Appetitny” as a valuable addition to our current portfolio.”


	 Ilona Zaletova, Deputy General Director of Phoenix Film:


	 “The launch of the “Appetitny” TV channel marks a significant expansion of our production capabilities, extending our long-standing expertise in creating quality content across a diverse range of genres. In addition to our expertise in the production and distribution of TV series, we also have our own TV channels on various subjects, including Phoenix Plus Cinema, which is based on TV series, including those produced by us. In addition to the programmes of popular bloggers, the new TV channel “Appetitny” will broadcast programmes and programme cycles created by our company, with the objective of meeting the needs of modern audiences.”


	 The new TV channel has adopted the slogan “Appetitive is the best cook”. This is entirely in keeping with the style in which the channel was created. The channel offers light, safe educational content, ideal for background viewing and providing benefits to the viewer.

Media Telecom presents a new TV channel “Appetitny”

National Media Group (NMG) and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) have agreed to invest in the creation of a joint Commercial Fund for the development of film and animation.


	 The Fund's primary objective is to provide systematic financing for the production of feature films for commercial distribution. The planned investment in the Fund is up to 8 billion rubles, with NMG contributing more than half of the funds.


	 NMG will provide preliminary guidance for the selection of projects, while the final decision on the Fund's financing will be made by the Fund's content committee, which will include representatives of NMG and RDIF. The Fund's content committee will be headed by Fyodor Bondarchuk, General Producer of NMG Studios, Director and Producer.


	 Thanks to the efforts of the Fund's team, the time to find investors will be significantly reduced, and the film market will be enriched with new spectacular films that will be of interest not only to Russian audiences, but also abroad, with the potential for distribution in friendly countries in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. Furthermore, attracting investment from the Fund will enable film producers to undertake more technologically sophisticated projects, tailored to the most prevalent formats. To achieve this, the Fund is prepared to explore potential partnerships with other market players in Russia.


	 The applications may be submitted to the Fund via the following link: <a href="https://xn--d1ahfnafa1c.xn--p1ai/">https://кинофонд.рф</a> .


	 Svetlana Balanova, CEO of NMG:


	 “National Media Group initiated the creation of the Fund thinking about the future of our media industry, which is currently undergoing significant transformation. The key challenge for the industry is the rapid growth in the production of high-quality media content in all viewing environments in a short period of time. We are confident that our Fund will provide a new source of inspiration for the production of quality media products in Russia, thereby enhancing the industry's competitiveness. We are delighted that our idea to create the Fund was supported by RDIF, which has the highest expertise in investing in leading and promising companies. It is anticipated that the Fund will generate substantial returns for investors, including through the portfolio investment principle.”


	 Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF):


	 “Russian film and animation productions are highly popular with audiences and demonstrate high box office receipts. The film production market is growing in Russia, and the demand for quality content in various formats. This presents additional opportunities for talented Russian screenwriters, directors, and producers. The joint Fund with NMG, one of the leading media holdings, will select and assist in the realization of projects with the highest potential, which will increase the share of Russian film productions in the domestic market and, in the long term, in friendly countries in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, including the BRICS countries.”

NMG and RDIF create the Commercial Fund for the development of film and animation in Russia

The online cinema Wink.ru, National Media Group, NMG Studio, Studio Videoprokat, and the Solnechny Gorod charitable foundation launched the project <a href="https://xn--b1afech8akph4h.xn--p1ai/" target="_blank">трезвожить.рф</a>, highlighting the problem of alcohol addiction. On the project's website you can take an addiction test, get advice from a psychologist and contacts of supporting organisations in your city, and find out what to do if a loved one suffers from alcohol addiction.


	 On 13 March, a presentation of the project and a public talk on the issue of alcohol addiction were held at the Wink lecture hall at the Russia International Exhibition and Forum. The event was attended by representatives of non-profit organisations involved in supporting families affected by addiction, psychologists, the producers of the series, and the creators of the social project.


	 The authors were inspired by the TV series “Nevernye”, in which the life of the main character, a successful lawyer and happy mother, is destroyed by alcohol. The first episodes are already available in the Wink.ru, the online cinema offering original content from Wink Originals.


	 “The title “Nevernye” was born out of divorce cases. But most importantly, the story about infidels is about being unfaithful to ourselves. We often betray our ideas, thoughts, opinions, just like the main character of the film. This can lead to a range of issues, including addiction and alcoholism. As producers and authors, we are continuously seeking to identify the individuals who embody the values and characteristics of our era. Olga Shilkovskaya (Akinshina) is an exemplary heroine of our time. She is a strong, fierce, free, daring and charming woman who fights for survival and the future of her child, while suffering from addiction, which was the result of severe childhood traumas,” share Anna Kolchina, Author of the idea, and Anastasia Koretskay, Showrunner of the project.


	 The social project трезвожить.рф is an initiative to collect all the information about alcohol addiction, its underlying causes, and effective self- and family-support strategies. Through the story of Olga, the protagonist of the TV series “Nevernye”, the authors of the project tell not only about how addiction gradually destroys all spheres of life, but also about how to notice the first signs, where to turn for help, how to behave around such people. Furthermore, the website offers the option of scheduling a complimentary online consultation with a specialist.


	 “According to recent research, over 40% of Russians report that they know someone struggling with alcohol addiction. However, there is a significant gap in knowledge regarding effective support strategies for loved ones and reliable resources for self-help. The topic of helping addicts is often taboo, and addicts are often rejected not only by society but also by their loved ones,” says Maria Zalunina, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at NMG Holding. – “It is our objective to present content on the most complex social topics in a way that not only highlights the problem, but also provides the viewer with the tools to solve it. We are confident that this project will assist thousands of families in finding answers to challenging questions and solutions.”


	 “We always say that people are not born that way. Addiction is always a consequence of deeper problems, sometimes from childhood itself. And most importantly, alcoholism is a disease that can be treated. Трезвожить.рф is important not only because it contains a lot of information, but also because it is as open and honest as possible. We do not shame or judge anyone and we hope that thanks to this more people will feel comfortable asking for help,” said Marina Aksenova, Director of the Solnechny Gorod Charity Foundation.


	 After the end of the series, the website will continue to work as a full-fledged helping tool in the hands of the staff of the Solnechny Gorod Foundation, which will provide systematic assistance to all those who apply.

Not only in the cinema: the creators of the series “Nevernye” from Wink launches a social project about the problem of alcohol addiction

The premiere of “Sidorovy”, the first Russian sitcom scripted by artificial intelligence, was held on the <a href="https://vk.com/wall-18496184_3165019">VK Video</a> platform. The neural network was developed by students of Skillbox who used the popular STS series as a basis. The project, which is participating in the Pilot Festival, will present the story of the Sidorovs, whose head discovers that he is a character in the TV series.


	 According to the plot the Sidorovs (Georgy Dronov, Alina Alekseeva, Tatiana Orlova, Sergei Styopin, Alexander Novikov) live like typical sitcom heroes: they argue, joke, solve household problems, make friends with a silly neighbour (Maxim Sushko). But at some point, the head of the family notices that all events are like Groundhog Day, and the voiceover laughter haunts them. Then he realises that the family is living in a sitcom and decides to get out of it.


	 The Sidorovs are played by actors who have previously appeared in “The Voronins”, “Daddy's Daughters” and other STS series. The role of the silly neighbour and jock played by Maxim Sushko. He was selected through a casting process conducted on the VK Clips platform. The script which was not edited after neuronet the actors saw only on the set.


	 “Neural network is still in its early stages of development and the difference was perceptible, – Georgi Dronov shared. – But what we have done, of course, a bold experiment.” “I didn't notice any oddities. The text was written in a clear and coherent manner, I understood absolutely everything,” Tatiana Orlova recalls.


	 The A.I. TV Script Generator neural network was developed by students of the Data Scientist profession at the Skillbox educational platform. To train the artificial intelligence, the developers uploaded popular STS TV series, including “Rodcom”, “The Voronins”, “Dyldy”, “The Eighties” and “The Oligarch’s Wife”. Thousands of pages of text allowed to set algorithms that closely resemble the processes involved in writing a film script. The neural network learnt to independently generate its basic structural elements: time and place of action, characters' names, lines, remarks and other components.

The first sitcom based on a neural network script is out

On 28 February, the winners of the annual “Russian Licensing Awards – 2023” were announced. The major children's hit “Three Cats” from STS Media won in the categories:


	 “Best Licensed Franchise”. The award is for licensed franchises for children and teenagers up to 12 years old.


	 “Best Classic Licensed Franchise”. The award is reserved for licensed franchises that have stood the test of time (ten years of licensing experience).


	 In the category “Best Licensed Range of Products for Parties and Holidays’ carnival costumes from “Three Cats” were selected as the award winners. The products are from the Karnavaloff brand.


	 In the category “Best Project with the Use of a Licensed Brand” was given to “The House of the Three Cats”, an art space opened for all fans of the animated series in September 2023 at VOKZAL 1853 food mall in St. Petersburg.


	 Another animated series from STS Media was also been nominated for the “Russian Licensing Awards – 2023”. “Hotel by the Sheep” has been shortlisted for “Best Licensing Startup” category. The nomination evaluated licensing franchises that have been on the market for no more than three years.


	 The second season of the animated series about the life of sheep Bella and her family premiered in November 2023. The YouTube channel “Hotel by the Sheep” has already amassed over 40 million views. Since the release of the first episodes of the animated series, which premiered on 3 September 2022, the cartoon about sheep has been watched by more than 3.6 million children from 4 to 6 years old.

The project “Three Cats” from STS Media became the winner of the “Russian Licensing Awards – 2023” three times

National Media Group announces the launch of the Experimental Creative Association (ECA). It is a laboratory for the development of debut projects for entertainment and information segments of the holding company's broadcasting, online platforms, as well as feature films for cinema distribution.


	 The lab will develop experimental projects created by debutants and students. Participants are given the opportunity to work with their ideas with the support of the holding company. In case of a successful defense of the project, a decision will be made on launching a full season or a feature-length film into production.


	 The creation of ECA is the result of the holding's accumulated expertise in working with talented debutants. Some of the projects already in development within the laboratory were created by participants of the program “NMG Debut” and “Creators”, the case championship of creative ideas for students from non-media specialties, launched with the support of NMG in 2023.


	 The Experimental Creative Association was headed by Kim Belov, Director of Strategic Communications at STS Media. The participants' projects will be evaluated by a special content committee, including Alexander Akopov, NMG's Deputy General Director for Entertainment Broadcasting, Dmitry Tabarchuk, General Director of NMG Studios, and other producers and top managers of NMG.


	 Svetlana Balanova, CEO of National Media Group:


	 “NMG is committed to becoming a leading destination for the most talented creative and media professionals in the country. At present, we collaborate with both established industry figures and aspiring authors, thereby investing in the future of both NMG and the media industry as a whole. In 2023, as part of our creative platform “Creators”, we launched “NMG Debut”, a program designed to collaborate with talented creative students, and the Creators Case Championship, where students from non-media specialties presented their ideas about the future of media and entertainment. The launch of ECA represents a further avenue for the identification and nurturing of emerging professionals, working under the guidance of established industry leaders. We are looking forward to seeing new names in the media industry!”


	 Kim Belov, Head of the Experimental Creative Association of NMG:


	 “In light of the industry's most challenging situation, we have been tasked with an intriguing objective: to identify new creative talent and assess their capabilities in a production-like environment. We are open to working with students and debutants, we are interested in both ideas and people, and we are ready to use all the Holding Company's capabilities to realise projects.”

NMG launches Experimental Creative Association

The third content festival of streaming services “ORIGINAL+”, which took place in Moscow on 28-29 February, announced the winners. The series “Nevernye” of the Wink platform received three awards.


	 - Original series (the main prize)


	 - Original script


	 - Media Jury Prizes. Special prize “For a sober outlook on things”


	 The series will premiere on 7 March exclusively on Wink. The series will join the line of Wink Originals.


	 The main roles in the series performed by Oksana Akinshina, Roman Evdokimov and Egor Druzhinin. The showrunner of the series was Anastasia Koretskaya.


	 The series was produced by Studio Videoprokat, online cinema Wink and NMG Studio.