http://www.boston.com/dailynews/145/world/Amid_the_ruins_of_Russia_s_fre:.shtml

Amid the ruins of Russia's free media, a voice struggles to survive

By Anna Dolgov, Associated Press, 5/25/2001 02:28

MOSCOW (AP) As Russia's main independent media voices toppled one by one in recent months, succumbing to the government-linked Gazprom, one major outpost remained standing and is now fighting for survival.

From a 14th-floor studio overlooking Moscow's broad Novy Arbat street, where black sedans with flashing blue lights whiz government officials between their country homes and the Kremlin, the Echo of Moscow radio station brings news every 15 minutes.

It is Russia's premier radio station with a mostly news format, and the only major outlet of the crumbled Media-Most empire that still reports critically about President Vladimir Putin.

Last month, natural-gas giant Gazprom conquered much of Media-Most, changing the leadership of its flagship station NTV, closing its daily newspaper Segodnya, and firing the staff of its news magazine, Itogi.

Gazprom insisted it was motivated by a wish to protect its investments in the financially troubled media, and promised not to interfere with editorial policy. But Media-Most and its supporters call it Kremlin punishment for critical reporting.

Abandoned by many of its most prominent journalists, NTV has scaled back harrowing reports about the war in Chechnya and no longer broadcasts scathing attacks on the government. Gone also are the long, inward-looking reports about its own plight that were a focus before the takeover.

Many fear this kind of transformation also awaits Echo of Moscow, which is partly owned by Gazprom.

''Under the state, Echo of Moscow would simply be different radio,'' its chief editor Alexei Venediktov said Thursday.

Since its creation in 1990, Echo of Moscow has become a symbol of free media in Russia.

It was the only radio station that brought the nation independent reports during the attempted hard-line coup against Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991, managing to stay on the air despite repeated attempts to muzzle it.

The station broadcasts to an estimated audience of 4 million in 67 Russian cities and towns.

That's smaller than the scope of official government stations, but Echo of Moscow also reaches into television, with camera crews from the major networks filling its studio during live and lively interviews with political leaders.

The radio station's guests last year included President Clinton, who fielded call-in questions from hundreds of Russians on subjects from nuclear arms to his tastes in Mexican food.

If Echo of Moscow has so far avoided succumbing to outside control, it was probably in part because it is profitable, unlike other Media-Most outlets, has fewer debts, and has stronger protections for its editor in the company charter.

Hoping to remain independent, Echo of Moscow says it has been in talks with Gazprom and with Media-Most founder Vladimir Gusinsky on buying a controlling stake in the station.

Gusinsky has been living in Spain, accused by Russian authorities of misrepresenting Media-Most assets to get a loan from Gazprom. A Spanish court has rejected Moscow's demands to extradite him.

Gusinsky has agreed to turn over his 14.5 percent share to the journalists, and Gazprom seems willing to sell a 9 percent share of its stock, according to Venediktov and Echo of Moscow director Yuri Fedutinov, who are handling the negotiations. The two deals would give Echo journalists a controlling 51 percent interest.

The journalists already own just over 28 percent of the station's shares. Just over 25 percent are owned by companies affiliated with Gazprom, 2 percent by NTV and 5 percent by the magazine Ogonyok. Another 25 percent of shares are held by Gazprom as collateral for old loans to Media-Most, Fedutinov said.

Gazprom has refused to comment on the negotiations or its plans for the station.

If Echo of Moscow is shut down, there is little indication that its listeners who are primarily in and around Moscow would stage mass protests that would worry the government.

However, some observers say keeping the radio station intact may help mend Putin's reputation after international criticism of the NTV takeover.

Even as some accuse the president of intolerance of the critical press, Venediktov said government officials appear eager to preserve the independent station.

''They tell me they listen only to us in their cars, that there is nothing else to listen to,'' he said.

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2001