Kommersant: “Medvedev Catches up to Putin on TV Airtime”

In 2009, President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin were the main stars of live political broadcasts. Most federal TV-channel news broadcasts began with their achievements, their visits to various economic facilities, and their speeches before various audiences. Although the extent of their influence on the decision-making process was debated in 2009, an opinion poll shows that Medvedev appeared more frequently on TV than Putin.