RTL plans to buy, for an undisclosed sum, 50 per cent of Content Union, stated a Reuter's report.

This includes CFG's four Russian channels - Russkiy Illusion, which airs Russian movies; Illusion Plus, which carries classic international movies; children's web Detskiy; and animal channel Zoo Park.

The channels are also distributed via cable in Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova and Georgia.

In 2005, RTL acquired a 30 per cent stake in terrestrial TV network Ren TV, which will continue to operate independently from the newly created joint venture.