As you know, under the law, city-run media outlets are required to provide mayoral candidates with equal access to airtime. A drawing of lots was held at the Moscow City Election Commission (MGIK), and in their great generosity they allotted us free airtime on two TV channels—Moskva 24 and Moskva Doverie—and two radio stations—Moskva FM and Govorit Moskva. A total of 360 minutes on each outlet: 180 minutes for joint “debates” and 180 minutes for campaign ads. Even though the government official Sobyanin does not attend debates, we still managed to hold three fairly successful rounds on the Moskva 24 channel. Here, by the way, is the recording of the latest round:
http://youtu.be/gGNsmlFJQm0 Round One Round Two The debates aired at 9:00 p.m. and doubled the channel’s audience. The debates on "Moskva Doverie" will start at 8:00 a.m. Prime time at its finest. All of this looks more like a strategy to eat up candidates’ time by offering them “airtime” that nobody watches or listens to. The audience of these media outlets, combined with the proposed time slots, suggests that campaigning in courtyard meetings with residents would have several times the effect. We want to use our time rationally. So the campaign headquarters has decided not to appear on "Moskva FM," "Govorit Moskva" (which is on the old VHF/FM band), or "Moskva Doverie," and instead to focus on debates in media outlets that actually matter electorally. There is a debate project on "Echo of Moscow," and I would be happy to take part in it with the other candidates. In addition, "Echo" has scheduled remote debates with Sobyanin:
As I understand it, "Dozhd" (TV Rain) is also planning some kind of debate. My team and I continue to insist on holding debates on the city-owned TVC channel. If a decision is ultimately made to hold such debates, I will definitely take part in them. And while I’m on the subject, let me note that candidate S.S. Sobyanin is constantly on federal TV channels, in direct violation of every legal norm. We are monitoring this closely, and have even sent letters to the TV channels in order, so to speak, to uphold the memorandum on fair elections.
You may be surprised, but for some reason no one ever called us. So I am now making a public appeal to the management of Channel One, Rossiya, and NTV: government official Sobyanin is not the only person running in the Moscow mayoral election, despite the fact that he is, quite literally, constantly on screen. We demand equal access to airtime and equal coverage of all candidates’ election campaigns.