Russian Media Model:Russian Media Model:TV in Politics and LeisureTV in Politics and Leisure

Professor Elena VartanovaFaculty of Journalism

Moscow State University/Aleksander Institute, Helsinki

University

Local and Global in Russian MediaLocal 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

Russia: Russia: From Reading to Watching NationFrom Reading to Watching Nation

New Leaders of the Media MarketNew 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

Broadcasting: Shift to Private OwnershipBroadcasting: 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

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

Major National TV Channels: Major National TV Channels: Interrelations with PoliticsInterrelations with Politics

ORT RTR Culture NTV TV-

Center

STS

Ow

nersh

ip

State (51%)

Private (49%)

State State Private Moscow government

Private

Pen

etration

98% of Russian households

97% of Russian households

45% 70% 55% About 60%

Po

litical po

sition

Absolutely loayl, pro-government

Absolutely loyal

No political news

No

t op

enly, b

ut p

ro-

go

vernm

ental

Pro-Moscow government

No

po

litical new

s

Fin

ancin

g

Advertising

+ State subsidies

Advertising+ State subsidies

State subsidies

Ad

vertising

Advertising+ Moscow government subsidies

Ad

vertising

Programming Values (2000): Putin’s Elections

ORT RTR Kultura NTV TV-Center

Pro

gram

stand

ards

No written statementsSupport of the government +Berezovskyinterests

No written statementsSupport of the government

No written statementsNational and international cultureCultural news

No written statementsEmphasis on objectivityAnti-Communist‘Watch-dog’ concept

No written statementsPromotion of the Moscow city governmentCritical towards the central governmentMoscow city officiated identity

Self-reg

ulato

ry n

orm

s

Informal Informal In the process Internal document

Informal +

Moscow City Government advice

Recepies for TV SuccessRecepies for TV Success

ORT ORT (The First Channel(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

State Broadcasting: State Broadcasting: Remains of the Past?Remains of the Past?

VGTRK company: 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

STSSTS: Pure Entertainment: 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

NTVNTV: Towards Infotainment: 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

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

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

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

Russians as Users of Electronic Media

Use electronic media monthly

(% of population)

_____________________________________

TV 100%

Video, DVD 59%

Computer 44%

Internet 29%Video International, 2005

TV Sets in Russian Houses

Number of TV sets in Russian houses (%) ____________________________________

2000 20051 TV set 68 592 TV sets 25 313 TV sets 7 10Total 100 100

Video International, 2005

Patterns of TV Viewing

Russians watch TV a day:_________________________________________All (average) 3 hours 33 minutes15-23 3 hours 33 minutes25-39 3 hours 19 minutes40-54 3 hours 25 minutes55+ 3 hours 55 minutes

Video International, 2005

The trend: average time remains the same, but in 2005 youngest and eldest viewers increased it

Patterns of TV Viewing

Russians watch TV (% of all audience) for:_________________________________________

2004 2005

Information 47% 30%Entertainment 35% 48%Habit 9% 10%New knowledge 7% 9%

Video International, 2005

Emergence of new social stereotypes - TV as an entertainment medium!!

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%)

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

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)

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)

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’?

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 eventsSince August 2003: a unified news programming in all

regions with local insertsJournalists in Moscow introduce ‘one day in region’ in

national news programs

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

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?

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’

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

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’

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

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

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’

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

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

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)