1. Russian Media Model: TV in Politics and Leisure Professor Elena Vartanova Faculty of Journalism Moscow State University/ Aleksander Institute, Helsinki University

2. Local and Global in Russian Media Old model – traditional Russian: financing by political elite = manipulative uses New model – impact of global trends: financing by advertising = rise of consumerism Competition/Co-existence of old and models: a few success stories Missing element in both models: journalists, universally shared professional norms and values

3. Russia: From Reading to Watching Nation

4. New Leaders of the Media Market TV has replaced print media at the top of media hierarchy TV gets attention of 95% of all Russians compared to 82% got by radio and 80% by newspapers Every day 40% of Russians watch national news programs from Moscow compared to 20% of Russians reading national newspapers

5. Broadcasting: Shift to Private Ownership 1 276 broadcast licenses for TV broadcasting and 1002 for radio broadcasting, mostly private the core of the Russian TV market: 9 national channels (2 state owned + 7 private), available to 50 per cent of population Federal Agency on Press and Broadcasting, 2003

6. Models of Russian Private TV National networks Emergence in economically advanced regions Infotainment and Russian serials as basics for programming Local focus in programming: ‘positive model of life’ Local politicians and advertisers as pressure groups

7. Major National TV Channels: Interrelations with Politics ORTRTRCultureNTVTV- Center STS Ownership State (51%) Private (49%) State PrivateMoscow government Private Penetration 98% of Russian households 97% of Russian households 45%70%55%About 60% Politicalposition Absolutely loayl, pro- government Absolutely loyal No political news Notopenly,but pro-governmental Pro-Moscow government Nopoliticalnews Financing Advertising + State subsidies Advertising+ State subsidies State subsidies Advertising Advertising+ Moscow government subsidies Advertising

8. Programming Values (2000): Putin’s Elections ORTRTRKulturaNTVTV-Center Program standards No written statements Support of the government + Berezovsky interests No written statements Support of the government No written statements National and international culture Cultural news No written statements Emphasis on objectivity Anti- Communist ‘Watch-dog’ concept No written statements Promotion of the Moscow city government Critical towards the central government Moscow city officiated identity Self-regulatorynorms Informal In the processInternal document Informal + Moscow City Government advice

9. Recepies for TV Success

10. ORT (The First Channel) Broadest penetration – 99% of population Universalist concept Mixed state-private ownership Attempts to implement a model of public service broadcasting 1996 – 2000: A pure political assert under the control of Boris Berezovsky Since 2000: a clear shift to entertainment mixed with concealed propaganda Faceless business strategy

11. State Broadcasting: Remains of the Past? VGTRK company: 4 TV channels: RTR – 98% penetration, generalist character, politically loyal news + Russian drama, Kultura – high-brow cultural programming + Euronews morning news, Sport - only sport programs, Vesti-24 (digital) - news 3 radio channels transmission network 100 owned by the state, but 70% financed by advertising 16% shares of Euronews channel and cooperation with EBU

12. STS: Pure Entertainment Change of programming concept (2002) Investments into own programming (popular actors, humor, urban style of life) Support from owner (foreign capital) No political information Minimum of imported programs Educational talk shows and entertainment for children Russian TV industry awards (2003) 2004: ‘Domashniy’ (Home Channel): more for consumption and product placement

13. NTV: Towards Infotainment The first private TV in Russia (1993) started at the education Channel 4, own license for TV broadcasting since 1996 Owned by Vladmir Gousinsky (until 2000) Began with ‘news + quality movies’ programming strategy One of the most financial unsuccessful companies of Most Group, since A lot of political information (since 1995), critical coverage of Chechen campaigns, open hostility to Putin Many imported entertainment programs and serials (ER) Political sterility spoiled popularity

14. TNT: Leader in Realities Shows Part of Gazprom company Division of ‘responsibilities’ with political NTV as youth entertainment channel Search for a unique niche: reality shows

15. TV 3: not Journalism, just Business Broadcasts in 250 cities Operated by Independent Network Television Holding Limited (INTH), major shareholders Timoti McDonald and Marsha Seiner, turnover 40 mln (2005), intention to prepare to IPO Business model: cheap content + cooperation with regional stations to increase regional coverage Aims: to develop and to … sell

16. TV: End of Political TV? Review of viewing patterns Review major genres of Russian TV Evaluation of the programming strategies and most popular program formats of Russian TV

17. Russians as Users of Electronic Media Use electronic media monthly (% of population) _____________________________________ TV100% Video, DVD 59% Computer 44% Internet 29% Video International, 2005

18. TV Sets in Russian Houses Number of TV sets in Russian houses (%) ____________________________________ 20002005 1 TV set6859 2 TV sets2531 3 TV sets710 Total100100 Video International, 2005

19. Patterns of TV Viewing Russians watch TV a day: _________________________________________ All (average)3 hours 33 minutes 15-233 hours 33 minutes 25-393 hours 19 minutes 40-543 hours 25 minutes 55+3 hours 55 minutes Video International, 2005 The trend: average time remains the same, but in 2005 youngest and eldest viewers increased it

20. Patterns of TV Viewing Russians watch TV (% of all audience) for: _________________________________________ 20042005 Information47%30% Entertainment35%48% Habit9%10% New knowledge7%9% Video International, 2005 Emergence of new social stereotypes - TV as an entertainment medium!!

21. Patterns of TV Viewing: Recent Changes TV becomes the entertainment medium for younger audience (15-24) and keeps the role of informer for elder viewers (55+) Audience becomes less attentive (59% of viewers in 2005 watch TV with ‘one eye’ compared to 42% in 2003) Audience is spontaneous in selection of programs (42% viewers in 2005 did not plan their TV viewing compared to 47%)

22. Most Viewed Formats in Russia Three top formats - Russian serials, humor and news (regardless of age, gender and residence) Female priorities - light talk shows, foreign serials, reality shows, music and life style programs; male priorities - sports, criminal documentaries, current affaires and news Age groups differ: younger viewers watch less news, elder viewers watch more talk shows, quiz shows and current affair programs

23. Where Journalism Lives? Rise in number of current affairs format in 1990s Sundays evenings as peak times for each channel: from Kisyelov to Parfenov (NTV), from Dorenko to Pozner (Channel 1) Saturdays as contra-programming: Svanidze (Rossija) and Poushkov (TVC)

24. News and Current Affairs News at the core of programming strategies News programs form the (professional) image of the channel Few documentaries, but during the last two seasons – an obvious growth, but docutainment (Parfenov, Channel 1)

25. News: The First Channel The most wide spread channel Less interesting news, TV journalists in the studio more anchors than reporters (‘Good old Soviet times’), official news For many Russians, especially outside mega polices, still a daily evening ritual ‘Odnako’ (Nevertheless) with Leontyev: political commentary or ‘word by guru’?

26. Rossija The most sophisticated structure of news gathering and news broadcasting due to the structure of the company VGTRK is comprised of 89 regional companies which has a two-fold function Provide the central company with local news Cover local events Since August 2003: a unified news programming in all regions with local inserts Journalists in Moscow introduce ‘one day in region’ in national news programs

27. VGTRK: Role of Management Oleg Dobrodeyev: the best NTV CEO appointed by Putin as the Head of the state media company Governance of information flows: rationalization and optimization Coverage: loyal, but pretending to be objective Strict regulations to journalists Reports at the core of ‘Vesti nedeli’ current affairs programs

28. NTV: News is our Profession History under the logo ‘News is our profession’ Ownership disputes in order to calm down the critical attitudes to political power and elite by journalists Dynamics of development of news and political affairs programs ‘Itogi’ with Kiselyov – for intellectuals: role of political commentator as a real opinion maker (program closed in 2002) ‘Namedni’ with Parfenov as a stylish young gentleman (2001): objective – “express analysis of weekly panorama for young, career oriented, independent, well- to-do people”. Type – patriotic without obvious support to the power Opposition to annoying programs made by ‘men with beards’ Program for metrosexuals?

29. Infotainment in News Infotainment = convergence of hard and soft news ‘Strana I mir’: deliberately apolitical boy/girl (male/female, black/white) 2 pairs A guest in the studio: free discussion The last news program of the day for a wide audience: no political priorities, random choice of items, instead: human interest stories, attention to details, unusual scope For the period of ‘political reaction’

30. Reality vs Political News Rise of reality format since 2000 3 types of reality shows “Extreme”: Survivor, Copyright of Fox bought by the 1st Channel Sensations of Everyday Life, voyeurism (Big Brother), Behind the Mirror, Hunger (Endemol, NL), bought by the 1st Channel “Talents” search (Soviet TV: ‘Hallo, we search for talents’; currently: ‘Stars Factory’, ‘People’s Artist The most profit oriented shows have been better adapted to Russian circumstances

31. Ways to Adapt Reality Shows Purchasing the license + negotiating on national issues Defining what might be extracted because of national culture and traditions: ‘Hunger’ or a newcomer ‘Office’

32. Targeting the Show Last Hero (survivor): women, 56+, middle level of education, middle level of income Factory of Stars (talents search): women, 36-45, middle level of education, middle level of income House, Hunger (reality): women, 26-35 or 36-45, middle level of education, middle level of income You are in the Army now: men

33. Differences The first reality show ‘Behind the Mirror’ had the most educated audience and broadest audience (26% of all channels viewers) National Channels: response to general tastes, cancellation of realities Regional networks: STS, TNT – younger audience, more risky contents + additional media products (‘Dom’ as a magazine) In general: popularity of a show grows along the time, but in a target audience

34. Serials: Russian Approach Import: Imported soap operas (Latin America, some the most popular US – Dynasty) Adaptation of formats: Russian police serials (pure adaptation of a Western format of action) Adaptation of business models: from woman detective stories (‘Kamenskaya’, Rossija, Dasha Vasilyeva, STS) to popular serials on various topics (‘Poor Nastya’) Back to the heritage: Soviet nostalgia, family melodrama, Russian classics – attempts to find a balance between social and private life, search for ‘Russianness’

35. Sports: Olympic Victories Rise in ratings: the highest viewing data compared with the most popular serials and humor VGTRK (Sport Channel, usual share 3%, in two recent weeks - 15%) vs Channel 1

36. Competition for Viewers The First Channel vs Rossija: similar and popular programs are broadcast simultaneously (classic mini-serials in December, 2005 and January, 2006) Tough competition for ratings: almost no difference in popularity Very similar programming strategies. Why? Clash of advertising interests, statuses and non-market relations

37. Perspectives? Decrease in shares of ‘big’ channels and the rise in shares of smaller ones: January, 2006, - 2% for The First Channel and Rossija; +2% for NTV and STS Copying popular Western and Russian formats Trend to channels specialization (MTV, Domashnyi, even STS)