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MOSCOW, Jun 7, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Russia's independent daily Kommersant may be acquired by a firm owned by Roman Abramovich, who is seen as a Kremlin loyalist, reports the Moscow Times.
The report says Millhouse is ready to buy or may have already bought the newspaper. It quoted Kommersant's commercial director Pavel Filenkov that the publishing house has "probably" been in negotiations with Millhouse, but cannot discuss them as he was not present at the talks.
Yevgenia Albats, who hosts a political talk show on Ekho Moskvy radio, says she received information from two "absolutely reliable" sources that Millhouse had reached a deal last week to buy Kommersant for $120 million. But Filenkov denied the newspaper has already been sold, the Times report said. A Millhouse spokesman declined to comment.
The Kommersant publishing house also publishes a weekly magazine on politics and another on business. Its flagship newspaper is noted for caustic reporting as well as for its critical line on the Kremlin.
"If Abramovich buys Kommersant, this would have nothing to do with business," Anna Kachkayeva, a media analyst with Radio Liberty, was quoted as saying. "This is just a move to get control of the paper's editorial policy."
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
