RUSSIA'S NEW MASS MEDIA MINISTRY

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06877063
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: July 13, 2023
• Document Release Date: May 10, 2022
• Case Number: F-2020-00968
• Publication Date: September 2, 1999

Approved for Release: 2022/03/09 C06877063
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Classified By: UNSPECIFIED
Classification Reason: UNSPECIFIED
Declassify On: X1
F) SUBJ: RUSSIA'S NEW MASS MEDIA MINISTRY
Identifiers:
Dates:
Date Acquired:
Date Published: 02-Sep-1999 16:31:00
Date Received: 02-Sep-1999 21:31:24
Coverage:
CIA Country Code: RUS
Region: EURASIA, RUSSIA
Publisher:
Agency Acronym: CIA
Office Name: NCS
Contact For:
REQUIREMENTS WELCOME.
COMMENTS, EVALUATIONS, AND
Warningsrf-T-SALGCILF) CENTRAL
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED
INTELLIGENCE
(U) CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
(U) INFORM TION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE REPORT CLASS T
OP RE T--NOFORN--ORCON
(U) EXCLUSIVE DISSEMINATION TO ADDRESSEES LISTED AT END OF REPORT
(U) REPORT CLASS T 0.$1-5-5-6 R E TNOT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS--
DISSEMINATION AND EXTRACTION OF INFORMATION CONTROLLED BY ORIGINATOR.
ALL PORTIONS CARRY CLASSIFICATION AND CONTROLS OF OVERALL DOCUMENT. END
OF MESSAGE TO SECRET.
--t-r-affeciNn 1.
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THE MINISTRY HAS HAD DIFFICULTY GETTING
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FROM THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION (PA).
MINISTER MIKHAIL ((LESIN)) HAS COMPLAINED THAT NONE OF
HIS SUGGESTED MINISTRY DEPUTIES HAS YET BEEN APPROVED. LESIN ATTRIBUTED
THIS TO THE UNSTABLE REGIME OF RUSSIAN PRESIDENT BORIS ((YEL'TSIN)) AND HIS
CONSTANTLY CHANGING PREMIERS. COMMENT: MIKHAIL LESIN, A
SPECIALIST IN POLITICAL ADVERTISING WITH EXCELLENT KREMLIN TIES, WAS
APPOINTED MINISTER OF THE NEW MASS MEDIA MINISTRY ON 6 JULY 1999.)
(TS//0C/NF1 3
EVEN WITH THE
OUSTER OF SERGEY ((STEPASHIN)) AS PREMIER, LESIN WOULD RETAIN HIS JOB AS
HEAD OF THE NEW MEDIA MINISTRY AT LEAST UNTIL AFTER THE SUMMER 2000
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. (ESIN AND HIS MINISTRY'S MAIN
ROLE AS INSURING THAT THE PA'S "OPPOSITION" DOES NOT DISRUPT THE TRANSITION
OF POWER. � LESIN AND HIS MINISTRY HAVE MANY
UNPLEASANT DUTIES TO PERFORM, SUCH AS REVOKING BROADCASTING LICENSES IN
ORDER TO PLEASE THE PA. LESIN WAS A
SMART MAN WITH A LOT OF COMMON SENSE WHO SHOULD BE ABLE TO KEEP THE PA
HAPPY WITHOUT SACRIFICING HIS POLITICAL FUTURE.
(TS//0C/NF) 4
EVEN IF THE NEW MEDIA MINISTRY IS DISBANDED, LESIN STILL WOULD
UNOFFICIALLY DIRECT THE VGTRK ANO THFREFORE CONTROL A LARGE PORTION OF
THE RUSSIAN MEDIA. LESIN ALSO OWNS OVER 600
REGIONAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS. LESIN HAD BOUGHT THESE
STATIONS AS A CUSHION SHOULD HIS GOVERNMENT CAREER COME TO A SUDDEN
HALT.
(TS/IOC/NF' 5
(TS//0C/NF) 6.
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THE VGTRK AND THE PA'S MEDIA DEPARTMENTS HAVE (b)(3)
ALSO SUFFERED UNDER THE UNCERTAIN POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE IN MOSCOW. (b)(1)
BLAMED THE PA FOR ACTING RANDOMLY WITHOUT REGARD FOR PUBLIC (b)(3)
OPINION OR THE GOOD OF THE COUNTRY. THE PA SENDS MO )
SUCH MIXED SIGNALS TO ITS MEDIA DIRECTORATES THAT IT IS INEVITABLE THAT (b)(3)
YELTSIN GETS SUCH POOR PRESS COVERAGE.
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TS//0C/NF 7. GIVEN THE PUBLIC DISLIKE FOR THE CURRENT YEL'TSIN PA, (b)(3)
IT WAS IMPERATIVF THAT THE VGTRK KEEP NEUTRAL IN THE CHANGING (b)(1)
ELECTION ENVIRONMENT. WANTED THE VGTRK TO HAVE (b)(3)
GOOD RELATIONS WITH ALL PARTIES ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM WITHOUT
ISOLATING THE PA. THE VGTRK SHOULD
COOPERATE WITH MOSCOW MAYOR YURIY ((LUZHKOV)) AND HIS FATHERLAND-ALL (b)(1)
RUSSIA PARTY (b)(3)
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THE PA IS (b)(3)
VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE VGTRK SERVING AS ITS MOUTHPIECE
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Collection: HT
Creator:
Agency Acronym: CIA
Office Name NCS
Contact For:
REQUIREMENTS WELCOME.
COMMENTS, EVALUATIONS, AND
Description: (U) NONE.
Distribution List:
Language: en
Precedence: P
Source:
Subject: None
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