Huffington Post shelves Russian launch plans after Crimea crisis

http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2014/mar/20/huffington-post-russia

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The Huffington Post has shelved its plan to launch in Russia following the crisis in the Ukraine, reports Angela Haggerty in The Drum.

She quotes HuffPo's chief executive, Jimmy Maymann, as saying: "We had a plan of 15 markets and we've launched in 11 so far... We were in negotiations in Russia but then they decided to invade Crimea. Right now, there's sanctions against them so we're putting that on the back burner."

Sanctions imposed on Russia by the US and the European Union do not directly affect the US-based Huffington Post's ability to do business there.

But Maymann said: "Right now, with everything that's going on, it's probably not appropriate for us to go ahead and launch a business in the midst of all this."

HuffPo has also run into difficulties with plans to break into China, according to Maymann, who was attending The Guardian's Changing Media Summit.

"In some shape or form we'd like to be in China," he said, "but obviously our model is challenging in China because we like people to take part and contribute and that's not necessarily what they want in China."

Maymann did think the outlook for China had improved. His company has previously had gone its journalists banned from entering the country. More recently, however, it has hosted a Chinese delegation of 20 in New York. And China reciprocated with an invitation to visit China and observe the business landscape.

Maymann said negotiations will continue while HuffPo decides whether it will be comfortable with a potentially limited service for China.

Source and hat tip: Angela Haggerty