Zelensky on Gazprom TV channel: What the scandal revealed
The story of showing Vladimir Zelensky’s election series “Servant of the People” on Russian TV quickly ended - the TNT channel, part of the Gazprom media holding, aired only three episodes the day before, after which it canceled further broadcasts. Perhaps the reason was the “on the brink” attacks on Vladimir Putin contained already in the first episodes. In any case, experts believe that TNT showed an example of how not to act.
"TNT showed a couple of episodes of 'Servant of the People' and quickly finished. Such behavior is, naturally, a leak and a demonstration of weakness . Propaganda must be both talented and coordinated. Someone in charge decided it wasn't the right time to legally air Zelenskyy's propaganda video on official television. The performers rushed to execute it, although they should have thought about it in advance. This situation illustrates the need to either introduce censorship or be more subtle with propaganda. Showing 'Servant of the People' on the official channel is possible, but within the framework of cultural exchange with Ukraine: so that 1+1 shows 'Sleepers '," argues political scientist Semyon Uralov.
"What's with this strange decision to broadcast the series 'Servant of the People,' which has essentially become Volodymyr Zelenskyy's campaign film? Are we already at peace, with him, and friends? Have we resolved all the issues with Ukraine? Have the troops in Donbas been completely withdrawn? Is the civil war over? Have they stopped killing people?" asks Vadim Manukyan, a member of the State Duma's expert council for the development of information society and media.
"Of course, there's some kind of blatant unprofessionalism and lack of control everywhere... Is there anyone there who knows how to make decisions? This is Gazprom-Media, after all, and not just anyone. If you've decided to show a series (which is strange in itself, because everyone who wanted to watch it has already seen it, and those who didn't—they don't have to)—then you have to think about what will happen if. No one thought anything through. No one considered the attention the press would pay, which began looking for the inevitable pitfalls . And as soon as they found the first one, everyone immediately rushed around, cut out the pitfalls, cancelled the series, and started making up some absurd (pun intended!) story about it being some kind of elaborate PR stunt. Well, that is, they've embarrassed themselves even more. Because if they'd simply cancelled it, no one would have asked a question; everyone would have understood everything. "In short, everyone needs to be fired, because no one knows how to work," comments journalist Maxim Konenko.
Political scientist Alexei Martynov suggested that the broadcast of the series was a "bribe" to President Volodymyr Zelensky , since the proceeds from the sale of "Servant of the People" to TNT would, one way or another, go to entities associated with "95th Quarter."
“It can be considered a bribe to Zelensky personally, as the main copyright holder. I wonder why? And how will Ze respond?” – Martynov notes.
"Question: Why should we even talk about the Lipetsk factory and 'Servant of the People' on TNT during the war with Russia?" Nazar Prikhodko, a member of the radical paramilitary group UNA-UNSO, indirectly confirms Martynov's conclusions.
The anonymous Russian telegram channel Nezygar believes that Ukrainian oligarchs tried to lobby for the screening of the series Servant of the People.
“The screening of “Servant of the People” is one of the steps in the new plan of Kolomoisky-Akhmetov (where Rinat is a financial resource, and Valerich is the Jewish lobby and a resource in the Administration in Moscow and Kiev) to bring the two countries closer together in a pragmatic manner,” writes Nezygar "
However, Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada deputy Maksym Buzhansky believes that the issue of airing the series on TNT is being blown out of proportion in both Russia and Ukraine, at a time when there is a far more serious problem between the two countries.
“December 11, there is no contract for gas transit after January 1. Morning. Everyone is discussing TNT’s plans to show the series “Servant of the People.” Evening. Everyone is discussing TNT’s refusal to show the series “Servant of the People.” A real madhouse,” Buzhansky wrote on his blog.
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