Federal Agency for Press and Mass Media (Russia)

The Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications (Rospechat) (Russian: Федеральное агентство по печати и массовым коммуникациям России (Роспечать)) is a regulatory state agency within the hierarchy of the Russian Government.[2]

Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications

Федеральное агентство по печати и массовым коммуникациям России (Роспечать)
Agency overview
Jurisdiction	Russia
Agency executive	Mikhail Seslavinsky 2004-2020[1]
Parent agency	Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media
Website	Fapmc.gov.ru

The agency is the former Ministry of Press, Broadcasting and Mass Communications (МПТР). It was transformed during governmental reform in 2004 and subordinated to Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, so it was no longer a standalone ministry. Since reorganization, it is headed by Mikhail Vadimovich Seslavinsky until 2020.

As stated on the Russian government website, the FAPMC "a) executes law enforcement and provides state services in sphere of creation and functioning of mass media and mass communications, television and radio, usage of radio-frequency spectrum and orbital positions of communication sputniks for the purposes of television and radio broadcasting, development of means of mass communications and spreading of mass media, in sphere of information interchange, broadcasting of additional information, computer networks of common usage in the area of electronic mass media, printing, activities in publishing and polygraphy; b) maintains all-Russian registers of mass media and mass communications, TV and radio broadcasting companies, makers of audio and video production" ().

Rospechat is a federal executive body responsible for providing government services and managing government property in the field of press, mass media and mass communications, including public computer networks used in electronic media, as well as in printing and publishing. The Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications operates in the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation and is headed by Mikhail Seslavinsky.

The Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications executes the following functions: - renders competitive government support to produce and/or distribute socially important media projects, to create and maintain social work and education-related websites; - participates in development and organization of events to implement the government policy in the following spheres:

- printed media, information sharing, printed periodicals’ distribution, printed media development and support

- book publishing and reading and book promotion, implementation of the National reading support and development programme events

- TV and radio broadcasting, digital technologies implementation, development and renovation of the satellite, ground cable and aerial networks, media and information sharing development;

- analyses electronic media audience and printed media issues; complies compulsory free copies of the printed publications;

- manages federal fund of produced and broadcast TV and radio programmes, shows, sound records and other audiovisual products (except movies);

- performs economic analysis of the subordinate state unitary enterprises and approves their economic indicators, as well as verifies their financial and operating performance and property employment;

- acts as a governmental customer to obtain federal grants, R&D and innovation programmes and projects;

- organizers congresses, conferences, seminars, exhibitions and other events related to press, publishing and printing, and electronic media;

- monitors printed media market, including its circulation, financial, advertising and other indicators; prepares and issues annual analytical report of the Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications entitled “Russian printed media market in xxx (year). Its conditions, problems and development prospects”;

- sponsors electronic media from federal budget resources;

- supports compatriots living abroad, as well as maintains common information space for Russian-speaking population in CIS and the countries of the near abroad;

- implements government policy regarding counter-terrorism and extremism operations, anti-drug abuse and trafficking activities;

- renders information, technical, organizational and consulting support to legal bodies and individual entrepreneurs in terms of radio-frequency spectrum utilization for TV and radio broadcasting, information sharing, public computer networks development;

- manages voluntary certification system /POLYGRAPHCERT/ of printing and ram and engraving operations to produce stamps and letterheads with the national emblem of the Russian Federation.

The Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications cooperates with a series of broadcasters, publishers and other media market actors. It supports various national and international projects, including the annual “Runet Prize”, the Russian Internet Forum, the International NAT (the National Association of Television and Radio Broadcasters) Congress, the Valdai International Discussion Club, the International Multimedia Festival “Vivid Word”, the “Book of the Year” National Contest, the Russian Publishing Expo Forum, the National Book festival “Red square” and etc.

According to the Presidential Decree of the Russian Federation of November 20, 2020 No 719 "About enhancement of public administration in the sphere of digital development, communication and mass communications”[3] the Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications is abolished, and its functions are transferred to the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation.[4]