![Sample our Area Studies journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5922/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Area-Studies.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
Almost six years ago the Crimean Peninsula became part of Russia. The article examines television as part of the information field of Crimea and Sevastopol and compares its power during three periods – Soviet, Ukrainian and Russian. Our main attention is given to the current state of television and its transformations within the Russian media system. We argue that the changes that Crimean and Sevastopol TV has undergone since 2014 are mostly beneficial for several reasons: (1) with three multiplexes in place Crimea is becoming one of the most technologically developed regions in terms of TV. (2) Crimean TV today is represented by channels airing 24/7. (3) One hundred percent of content is fully produced in Crimea. We also offer perspective on some current issues the TV market is facing (audience measuring, self-censorship, lack of qualified professionals, licensing problems). We use expert interviews as the main research method and the frontier concept as our theoretical frame.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes on contributors
Karine V. Chobanyan (PhD) is an Associate Professor at the Chair of Television and Radio at the Faculty of Journalism, Lomonosov Moscow State University. Her research fields include 24-hour news channels, broadcast news, American television, television formats and language.
Galina G. Shchepilova (PhD) is Full Professor and Chair in Television and Radio at the Faculty of Journalism, Lomonosov Moscow State University. Her research focuses on advertisement and marketing technologies in media, Russian and German media systems, transformation of media consumption influenced by new technologies.
Dmitriy V. Zhukov is the senior lecturer at the Sevastopol branch of Lomonosov Moscow State University. He is also Deputy Director of the Sevastopol branch. He used to work as TV reporter and anchor for several channels on the Crimean Peninsula. For nearly 20 years Dmitry headed several TV channels in Sevastopol. His research interests include history of radio and television, new media technologies.
Notes
1 Law ‘On Press and Other Mass Media’ from June 12th, 1990.
2 Lenur Islyamov, ATR and Lale owner, is Crimean Tatar with Ukrainian and Russian citizenship. He also served as a vice prime minister of Crimea (until May 28th, 2014). Sergei Kunitsin, the original owner of ‘Neapol’ channel, has a long history in politics. He headed the Council of the Crimean ministers (1998–2001, 2002–2005), served as an advisor to the Ukrainian President in the Crimean Republic (2001–2002, 2005–2006) and became the deputy of the Supreme Council of the Crimean Republic in 2010. In 2013 the channel was sold to another deputy of the Supreme Council of the Crimean Republic Frunze Mardoyan and renamed ‘tvFM’. Mardoyan is a former general director of the ‘Krym’ enterprise. He owned a large super market, shopping mall, construction company and the ‘Imperial’ hotel in Crimea. Lev Mirimskiy, the original owner of ITV, was the President of the ‘Imperia’ (‘Empire’) corporation in mid-1990s, later became the deputy of the Ukrainian Rada (2012–2014). Sergei Zhivenko co-owned ZhiSa channel together with ‘Glavred-media, Ltd’ and private company ‘CME Media Enterprises B. V.’ registered in Amsterdam. ‘Glavred-media, Ltd’ is part of the ‘Glavred-UNIAN’ holding, owned by businessmen Alexander Tretyakov and Igor Kolomoiskiy.
3 ‘Pervyy Sevastopolskiy’ was founded by ‘Media TV Sevastopol, Ltd’ owned by the former president of the Sevastopol soccer club Alexander Krasilnikov. In October 2008, just before the launch, the channel was sold to the deputies of the Sevastopol city council Dmitriy Belik and Yuriy Chernikov. NTS was originally founded by Sevastopol rock musician Alexander Barulin. In 2000 it was sold to Nikolai Rudenko, the owner of the regional home appliances chain ‘Panorama’. In 2006 the company changed hands again and was sold to the deputy of Sevastopol city council Elena Bazhenova.
4 Personal interview with expert 6, top-level manager at state-owned Crimean channel in Simferopol.
5 Personal interview with expert 3, top-level manager at state-owned Sevastopol channel.
6 Personal interview with expert 5, top-level manager at private channel in Sevastopol.
7 For example, in Sevastopol in 2006 71.6% of population was Russian.
8 The Law of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting, article 10, part 4.
9 Federal constitutional law No.6, 2014.
10 Ten-monthperiod was agreed on during a meeting between A. Zharov (chairman of the Federal Communications, Information Technologies and Mass Media Regulatory Authority (Roskomnadzor)), Crimean prime-minister S. Aksenov and Crimean information and Mass Communications minister D. Polonskiy.
11 See, for example, Human Rights Watch (https://www.hrw.org/report/2017/07/18/online-and-all-fronts/russias-assault-freedom-expression), Amnesty International (https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/03/crimean-tatar-media-will-shut-down-as-arbitrary-registration-deadline-expires/), UNHCR (https://www.refworld.org/docid/59fc67f54.html).
12 Respublica Krym/Istoriya.
13 According to 2014 Census, the new numbers will be released after the new Census takes place in the fall of 2020.
14 Personal interview with expert 7, top-level manager at a private channel in Sevastopol.
15 Personal interview with expert 3, top-level manager at a state-owned Sevastopol channel.
16 Personal interview with expert 7, top-level manager at a private channel in Sevastopol.
17 Personal interview with expert 3, top-level manager at a state-owned Sevastopol channel.
18 Article 29 of the Russian Constitution, adopted on December 12th, 1993.
19 Personal interview with expert 8, mid-level manager at a state-owned channel in Simferopol.
20 Personal interview with expert 7, top-level manager at a private channel in Sevastopol.
21 Personal interview with expert 9, top-level manager at a state-owned news agency in South Ossetia.