Russian Media Model: TV in Politics and Leisure Professor Elena Vartanova Faculty of Journalism...
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Transcript of Russian Media Model: TV in Politics and Leisure Professor Elena Vartanova Faculty of Journalism...
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
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
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