Top appointments at Rusiya Al-Yaum TV channel

Since 2005, Margarita Simonyan holds a position of editor-in-chief of Russia Today TV channel broadcasting in English. In her new capacity, Margarita will be responsible for both Russia Today and Rusiya Al-Yaum channels.

Aidar Aganin was appointed deputy editor-in-chief of Rusiya Al-Yaum and Director of Arab broadcasting Department. Aganin is a Middle East specialist, who until recently worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia (last position - the Minister-Counselor of Russian Embassy in Jordan).

Margarita was born on April 6, 1980 in Krasnodar in the South of Russia and graduated from the Kuban State University in Krasnodar. She also completed courses in Vladimir Pozdner's School of TV Mastership.

From February 1999 to January 2000, she was a reporter with Krasnodar Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, where she covered combat operations in Chechnya. In October 2000, she was granted the award for "Professional Courage" by Kuban Journalists Association for a series of war reports. She then was appointed senior editor of news programs of Krasnodar Broadcasting Company.

In May 2000, she won an award of the 2nd All-Russian Contest of Regional TV Companies for reports about Chechen children.

In February 2001, Margarita Simonyan was appointed staff correspondent of All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company in Rostov-on-Don, and then became a special correspondent for Vesti program of Rossiya TV channel. In autumn 2002, she was appointed to the Presidential pool of journalists.

In April 2005, Margarita became editor-in-chief of a newly founded Russia Today TV channel broadcasting in English.