Putin's TV address sees viewership halve ahead of elections
1:15 PM EST, March 7, 2024
On February 29, Vladimir Putin presented his annual address to the nation. Independent channel Mozhem Ob'yasnit', using Mediascope's telemetry data, noted a lackluster response from Russian viewers. This year, only 6.5 percent of viewers across three channels watched the address, a notable decrease from last year's 11.4 percent viewership.
Within just one year, Putin has seen his nationwide audience nearly halved, Mozhem Ob'yasnit' reports.
On the last day of February, Rossiya-1 viewers showed the most interest in Putin's address, ranking it 8th among the week's most watched shows. However, it was less appealing to the audience of the First Channel, landing at only 25th in popularity.
In 2023, the address secured the 6th, 7th, and 61st spots among the week's most viewed programs, according to Mozhem Ob'yasnit' sharing on social media.
Also read: Putin's unexpected stance on Poland
The presidential address isn't the only program losing viewers
Not just Putin's address, but the general viewership of three state-owned channels (Channel One, Rossiya-1, NTV) is on a downward trend, according to independent Russian media. While these channels enjoyed an average viewership of 17 percent last year, this year it has fallen to 14.6 percent.
The West paid close attention to Putin's speech. Following the address, analysts pointed out Putin's renewed focus on nuclear weapons. US Department of State Spokesperson Matthew Miller criticized it as "irresponsible rhetoric" and remarked, "this is not how a leader of a nuclear-armed country should behave."
