Channel 31 in Chelyabinsk appoints new director

At the nationalized Chelyabinsk television channel «Channel 31», a change in leadership has occurred. On January 28, former director Valery Shagiev said goodbye to the team and introduced the new leader. She is chief editor Evgenia Morunova. The media holding, previously owned by ex-governor Mikhail Yurevich, is now owned by the government of the Chelyabinsk region.

«From this day on, I no longer head the Channel 31 holding. I definitely need to exhale. I haven»t been on vacation, probably for five years,« said Shagiev. »It will take some time to hand over affairs. My place will be taken by chief editor Evgenia Morunova, which I am very happy about. The period of turbulence is over, the team is preserved, we can move forward.«

Valery Shagiev has been working in television since 1996, after graduating from the philological faculty of Chelyabinsk State University. His career included work as a correspondent and news anchor at the television company «Vostochny Express». Since 2001, he worked in the media holding (ZAO IAC «Panorama»), where he held the positions of chief editor and director. Under his leadership, the company received the «Tefi-region» award (a Russian television award) for best report. In 2017, Shagiev co-founded the charity fund «Teplaya Pomoshch» (Warm Help charity fund). He is also an honored media worker of the Chelyabinsk region.

The media holding, including the television channel, website 31tv.ru, and radio stations DFM-Chelyabinsk and Sputnik-Chelyabinsk, was nationalized in May 2024 by court decision at the suit of the General Prosecutor«s Office. The assets of ex-governor Mikhail Yurevich and his family came under state management, and in the fall of the same year — into 100% ownership of the regional government.