Russian music boss badly beaten after voicing concerns over PRO merger

A critic of the Russian Communications Ministry's proposal to merge Russia's three main collection societies, RAO (Russia's Author Society), VOIS and RSP to make operations more transparent and simplify procedures for rights holders has been attacked and badly beaten.  Andrei Krichevsky, head of the state-run Melodiya label, was quoted by the news agency RIA Novosti as saying that the proposal was "incompetent" and the existing system of copyright royalty collection has proven to be efficient. Shortly after making that comment, Krichevsky, who also holds the position of RAO's deputy general director, was severely beaten when leaving his office in central Moscow.

Controversy continues in Russia over the move to take the Russkaya Media Group, and the music radio stations and TV channel it operates, into state ownership, through an acquisition by state-run concert promoter Goskontsert, which reports into the country's Ministry Of Culture.

http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/6664041/russian-ministry-proposes-changes-to-royalty-collections-critic-of-changes

http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/6670380/russian-media-group-controversy-leadership