Dmitry Medvedev – digital guy

Surprise! Surprise! Russian President Vladmir Putin’s endorsement of Gazprom Chairman and all-around Kremlin handy-man Dmitry Medvedev as the next Russian president sent the wires chirping. Medvedev has been on the short list of potential successors for several months. Last January he appeared at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, wowed the crowd and sent Russia watchers twittering.

As Gazprom chairman Medvedev, in theory, oversees several major Russian media outlets, from Kommersant  and Ivestia to radio Ekho Moskvy and TV channels NTV  and NTV2. In truth, he’s about seven levels separated from the management. He’s spent most of his time in recent months working on infrastructure projects for President Putin.  Housing is a big issue.

Digital transition is another. Mr. Medvedev was called to chair a government commission on digital broadcasting, essentially, to wade through the entrenched bureaucracies. That commission reported in last Thursday (December 8) with a plan, or a plan for a plan. Mr. Medvedev called it ‘a television revolution.’ The report outlines a possible free digital offering  (DVB-H) of 5 or 6 television channels and 3 to 4 radio channels. Free TV would include a sports channel, children’s channel, informational channel, cultural channel and entertainment channel. Mr. Medvedev selected radio channels Radio of Russia, Mayak, Yunost and a selection of regional stations. The plan sees completion in 2015.

Several agencies have been fighting over the Russian digital media territory.  Mr. Medvedev seems to have put that to an end. And that just might be the reason he’s got Mr. Putin’s support. - Michael Hedges December 10, 2007

Keywords:media in Russia, Dmitry Medvedev

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