CTC-International Now Available to Viewers in Kazakhstan

Published on Wednesday, 01 February 2012 06:09 Written by TradersHuddle Staff

MOSCOW, Feb. 1, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CTC Media, Inc. ("CTC Media" or the "Company") (Nasdaq:CTCM), Russia's leading independent media company, has announced the conclusion of an exclusive long-term agreement with Central Asia Media Distribution, which envisages the promotion of the international version of CTC ("CTC-International") on Kazakhstan's cable and satellite networks.

Under the terms of the agreement, Central Asia Media Distribution is to promote CTC-International on Kazakhstan's cable and satellite networks, as well as sell advertising inventory on the channel. Starting from February 1, 2012, the channel will be available to subscribers of the two largest players on the Kazakh cable TV market, namely Digital TV and Icon TV. Another operator – ID TV is expected to be added to this list shortly.

Boris Podolsky, CTC Media's acting Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer: "The pay-TV market in Kazakhstan is developing rapidly, and the potential audience in the country comprises over 500,000 households, according to the latest official statistics. Entering this market will offer us many opportunities including monetizing our content and improving our business performance".

Marat Devlet-Kildeyev, CTC Media's Head of International Broadcasting: "The broadcasting of the international version of the CTC channel on cable and satellite networks will not only significantly expand, but more importantly, diversify our TV audience. CTC Media's free-to-air Channel 31 in Kazakhstan mainly broadcasts Turkish TV series, the in-house produced Kazakh language content, the proportion of which in the programming grid is steadily increasing, as well as Hollywood blockbusters. CTC-International is a Russian-language channel and combines the best and most highly rated TV shows from the holding's three Russian channels – CTC, Domashny and Peretz, which helps us avoid any audience overlap. I am confident that the launch of this new channel will be a significant event on the Kazakh television market".

Timur Satybaldin, Chief Executive Officer of Central Asia Media Distribution: "We are very pleased that CTC Media, the Russian market leader in setting new standards of TV entertainment, chose our company as a partner to distribute the signal and sell advertising on the CTC-International channel in Kazakhstan. We hope that the channel will gain a strong position on the market and be in demand by audience".

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 - 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, Israel, Germany and the Baltic states. 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.

The CTC Media, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=9587

About Channel 31

Channel 31 is headquartered in Almaty in Kazakhstan, and began broadcasting on April 12, 1992. From March 31, 2008, Channel 31 re-focused into a pure entertainment channel. TV-radio company Channel 31 and CTC Media entered into an agreement and created a new company, "Channel 31 Group" in 2008. The programming schedules consist of content from CTC Media and other Russian, local and foreign content providers. The majority of Channel 31's free-to-air broadcasting in Kazakhstan consists of own-produced Kazakh language programs.

For further information, please visit: www.31.kz

About Central Asia Media Distribution

Central Asia Media Distribution was created in 2010 with the aim of distributing licensed TV programs of various genres in Kazakhstan. The company's content catalog includes quality television from Russian, Turkish, South Korean and other foreign producers. The catalog contains a hand-picked selection of TV series, movies, cartoons, feature-length cartoons etc. The company also distributes content for Kazakhstan's cable TV operators.

For further information, please visit www.ctcmedia.ru

CONTACT: CTC Media, Inc.
         
         Investor Relations
         Ekaterina Ostrova
         Tel: +7 495 783 3650
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         Media Relations
         Victoria Bakaeva
         Tel: +7 495 785 6347, ext 1210
         or Anna Zvereva
         Tel: +7 495 785 6347, ext 1212
         
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