The Anomaly of Ekho Moskvy: Adaptation Strategies for the Survival of Diversity of Viewpoints in Russian Media during the Putin Era by William Andrews Evans Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ Ellen Mickiewicz, Supervisor ___________________________ Jehanne Gheith ___________________________ Gareth Price Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies in the Graduate School of Duke University 2012 ABSTRACT The Anomaly of Ekho Moskvy: Adaptation Strategies for the Survival of Diversity of Viewpoints in Russian Media during the Putin Era by William Andrews Evans Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ Ellen Mickiewicz, Supervisor ___________________________ Jehanne Gheith ___________________________ Gareth Price An abstract of a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies in the Graduate School of Duke University 2012 Copyright by William Evans 2012 Abstract Moscow-based radio station Ekho Moskvy is an anomaly in the authoritarian media climate of Vladimir Putin’s Russia for its commitment to hosting a diversity of viewpoints on its broadcasts. Yet no systematic research has been conducted to determine what the station’s exceptionalism means in practice or how the station has been able to operate as long as it has (over twenty years). This paper explores the question of a possible adaptation strategies employed by the station during the Putin era, 2000-2010, by focusing on Ekho Moskvy’s editor-in-chief since 1998, Alexei Venediktov, and seeks to understand why or how Ekho Moskvy is able to continue operating and hosting diverse viewpoints in a hostile media environment. In the first part of this thesis, the research contextualizes the business aspect of the station, especially its ownership structure, profitability, and audience. The second part of the thesis examines the relationship of the station with the Russian political elite, and then looks at every program on which Venediktov hosted a discussion with one or more guests and the contents of those discussions and their relation to Putin and Kremlin policies from 2000-2010. This research seeks to construct an idea of how and in what ways each of these strategic elements of Ekho Moskvy’s operations add up to an overall adaptation strategy for an exceptional media outlet’s survival in Putin’s Russia. iv Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... iv List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. vii List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... viii Acknowledgments........................................................................................................................... ix Part I ................................................................................................................................................. 1 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 1 Research Questions ...................................................................................................................... 5 2. A Brief History of Ekho Moskvy, 1990-Present .......................................................................... 8 Biography of Alexei Venediktov ................................................................................................... 8 A Brief History of Ekho Moskvy ................................................................................................. 11 3. The Business of Ekho Moskvy: Audience, Format, Ownership, Profitability ........................... 16 Audience ..................................................................................................................................... 16 Audience Demographics ............................................................................................................ 20 Format: Balancing News and Opinion Programming ............................................................... 23 Ownership Stakes ....................................................................................................................... 25 Profitability and Independence .................................................................................................. 27 4. Literature Review and Media Context ....................................................................................... 30 Survey of Literature on Russian Media...................................................................................... 30 Kremlin Influence in Russian Media since 2000 ....................................................................... 35 Radio in Russia .......................................................................................................................... 38 Ekho Moskvy: The Anomaly ....................................................................................................... 39 Part II ............................................................................................................................................. 41 5. Power Relations with the Kremlin Elite .................................................................................... 41 Freedom of Expression vs. Freedom of Speech ......................................................................... 43 Kremlin Statements Regarding Ekho Moskvy ............................................................................ 44 Professional vs. Oppositional Radio .......................................................................................... 46 6. Selection of Program Participants: Discussion and Methodology of Categorization ................ 51 Methodology of Programs to Select for Analysis ....................................................................... 52 7. Participant Research: Results and Analysis ............................................................................... 54 Power and the Kremlin: Political Tone in References to the President/PM ............................. 54 v Tone of Participant and Host Discussion .................................................................................. 61 Professional Background of Participants .................................................................................. 64 Officials .................................................................................................................................. 66 Subcategories of Officials ...................................................................................................... 69 Journalists/Media .................................................................................................................. 71 Foreign Participants .............................................................................................................. 73 Russia’s Political Allies ......................................................................................................... 75 Foreign Program Participants and International Political Support ..................................... 78 Themes of Discussions ............................................................................................................... 80 Terrorism and Chechnya ....................................................................................................... 82 8: Conclusions ................................................................................................................................ 85 Appendix A .................................................................................................................................... 87 Power and the Kremlin .............................................................................................................. 87 References to President/Prime Minister ................................................................................ 87 Political Tone ......................................................................................................................... 88 Theme of Discussion .................................................................................................................. 88 Tone of Discussion/Participant Relations.................................................................................. 92 Guest Occupation ...................................................................................................................... 92 References ...................................................................................................................................... 96 vi List of Tables Table 1: Moscow Radio Market: Size of Daily Audience, Oct.-Nov. 2011, Ages 12+………………………………………………………………………………….........16 Table 2: Daily Ekho Moskvy Listeners as Percentage of Russia and Moscow Radio Markets, Selections from 2005-2011…………………………………………………….18 Table 3: References to President/Prime Minister per Guest as Percentage of Total Guests, 2000-2010…………………………………….………………………………….............55