Mikhaylov may become new ITAR-TASS chief

Sergey Mikhaylov, founder of Mikhaylov and Partners, head of the department for corporate communications and a board member of the RR, may become the new Director General of ITAR-TASS, Kommersant reports.

Vitaly Ignatenko has been the chief of ITAR-TASS for over 20 years and may become a member of the Federation Council. He may leave ITAR-TASS within a month.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s press secretary Natalya Timakova and Ignatenko have not commented on the issue.

Ignatenko is also fourth is the list of the United Russia Party of the Krasnodar Territory and may become a senator, replacing Ahmed Bilalov.

Yuliana Slashyova is heading the Mikhaylov and Partners Company. She is the wife of Mikhaylov and was the main PR contractor of candidate for president Mikhail Prokhorov.

Resignation of Ignatenko is believed to be a promise of Deputy Minister for Communications Alexey Volin. Deputy heads of the Presidential Administration Alexey Gromov and Vyacheslav Volodin or RR President Vladimir Yakunin may be involved in the new appointment of Mikhaylov. The president’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov has not commented on the information.

Merging of RIA Novosti and ITAR-TASS has been discussed for several months. The idea of RIA Novosti chief Svetlana Mironyuk to unite the structures has been scrapped.