OREANDA-NEWS. July 21, 2011. CTC Media, Inc. (“CTC Media” or “the Company”) (NASDAQ: CTCM), Russia’s leading independent media company, announces the launch of its new digital broadcasting complex located at 15a Pravdy Street, Moscow, Russia. All three of CTC Media’s Russian channels – CTC, Domashny and DTV, as well as CTC-International, will now be broadcasted from one single hi-tech center which is the only facility of its kind in Russia. The previous play-out facility will be transitioned to a back-up solution for any force majeure situations, reported the press-centre of CTC Media.

The project was completed within the scheduled 2.5 year time frame set at its inception and investments in the facility remained within budget, totaling approximately USD 17 million. The state-of-the-art complex, which is owned and run exclusively by CTC Media, is the only play-out facility in Russia which has the capability to meet all of the Company’s broadcasting requirements from a single location – the complex can program and broadcast up to 21 independent channels, which currently includes the three television networks in multiple time zones and the three separate CTC-International channels. The new play-out facility has an automated broadcasting management and control system as well as a compulsory redundancy system which provides round-the-clock uninterrupted operation.

The new broadcasting complex enables CTC Media to streamline all behind-the-scenes preparation that occurs before content is broadcasted. This includes effective content storage and sharing techniques that will, as an example, simplify the process of providing content for commercials or for internet broadcasting. All of the complex’s studios and suites are equipped with the most up-to-date cutting, sound recording, airing and quality control techniques and the complex is at the core of CTC Media efforts to digitalize and store all of its content at the complex’s digital archive by the end of this year.

Anton Kudryashov, Chief Executive Officer of CTC Media, commented: “The former broadcasting complex was built in 1998 exclusively for the CTC channel and it therefore had limited technical capacity, which restricted our abilities in terms of implementation of high-end technologies and digitalization. But CTC Media has always distinguished itself through its innovative approach to all the aspects of its business – the launch of the new broadcasting complex is further evidence of this.”

Sergey Petrov, Chief Russian Broadcasting Officer of CTC Media, commented: “Our ambitious strategic aims challenge us to use the latest technologies and our new broadcasting complex was built using the most up-to-date practices available globally. A great deal of planning has gone into creating a new technical infrastructure and communication system that is efficient and secure. The complex’s own cooling system and energy supply testifies to this as it ensures uninterrupted broadcasting at all times.”