Victor Topaller: How did 18 end my years on RTVI?

Victor Topaller. Photo: RTVI

From the editors of ForumDaily: One of the flagships of Russian-language television in America, the RTVI channel, is going through times of crisis. Its owner Ruslan Sokolov, who previously headed the Russian patriotic channel “Zvezda,” last year found a new investor who was ready to invest a large sum, by RTVI standards, of $60 million within three years. The name of the generous investor was kept secret, however selected media pointed out that they may be the head of the largest Russian state corporation “Rostec” Sergey Chemezov. With the advent of investments, the channel was restarted, and the well-known NTV traveler Alexey Pivovarov became the general producer of RTVI. However, a year later, funding was sharply reduced, the channel began to fire people, freeze projects and transfer air to the Moscow studio. At the same time, the RTVI management does not speak about channel closure.

Own opinion about what is happening on RTVI was presented in his column by a television and radio host, Forum Forum's permanent columnist, Victor Topaller, who worked on the 18 channel for years. Editorial ForumDaily is also ready to provide the leadership of RTVI with an opportunity to present their own vision of events.

I didn’t want to talk about it at all. But probably should. Moreover, I receive a lot of questions from different people from different countries. Therefore I answer. Immediately all. I warn you - I know not all. So it is rather personal sensations and observations.

So, after almost 18 years on RTVI, it was all over. I will limit myself to a dry summary of some facts and share the conviction that everything Moscow is stretching its paws to inevitably turns, as Voinovich wrote, into a “secondary product”.

The first "decree" of the new leadership (on the same day as the post was taken over!) Was removed from production "American Likbez", although the first 8 series of the new cycle "All that JazzWere ready. Sharing guesses, why urgently needed to kill one of the most popular programs, I will not - should I leave you room for fantasy? ..

Photo: RTVI

Almost at the same time, I was informed that after a few months the program “In New York with Victor Topaller” was also closed, and they offered to prepare a new program, “Breakfast with Topaller” (hereinafter "At the fireplace with Topaller"), expressing the wish that my wife served tea to the guests ... At this point, making sure that people are not being banished, but speak quite seriously, I finally understood everything. But I decided to see what will happen next ...

How should the new program (which should have been shot no longer on RTVI, but with the production company Rating TV) should differ from the old one? Besides the brilliant idea of ​​tea? This was the text posted on Facebook. It is curious that with all its innocent loyalty (not to mention the fact that every word is true), it provoked an angry reaction from the leadership. I will repeat it. To complete the picture.

... As I already reported, the program “In New York with Victor Topaller” ceased to exist and was aired for the last time on May 14. This Sunday a new program is due to air on the RTVI channel - “By the fireplace with Topaller ".

It differs significantly from the program "In New York ...". To begin with, its duration is two times shorter - 24 minutes, not 48. In addition, offscreen comments, which did not exist before, play an important role, and the role of video material has increased many times over. “Clean” conversation was replaced by a multi-dimensional program, which we shoot not in the studio, but in a “home” setting.

The next difference is the guests. Now they are only the "stars" of the first magnitude. Earlier in the program sometimes there were also people little-known to a wide audience, but representing, in my opinion, great interest for the audience. In addition, the very invitation (or non-invitation) of the guests ceased to be my prerogative - the producer determines who will appear in the program and who will not. Of course, I have the “right to vote”, but no more. By the way, taking this opportunity, I want to thank the production company Rating-TV for their excellent work and high professionalism.

Another difference is the complete exclusion of the policy. Thus, many guests "In New York ..." a priori could not be guests "At the fireplace ...".

PS The future of this program seems to be rather vague for me: there are currently no agreements on its further production. But, in any case, ten already captured programs, you will hopefully see.

Here you go. So it turned out. Ten broadcasts were broadcast. True, my wife did not serve tea to the guests, I confess. Apparently this is why Rating-TV did not receive money for further production, and there were no negotiations with me. We didn’t communicate with them at all for more than six months. There was no desire. I think it's mutual. I probably showed cowardice by agreeing to the new format - the program definitely ceased to be my original program. As far as I understand, this was the main goal. But I don’t regret agreeing at all - it was interesting for me to work with professional, nice people, on something new, and I’m not ashamed of any of the ten programs. And, to be honest, I didn’t want to break ends - after all, I’m almost 18 years old...

Yes! Forgot to talk about a funny episode. 27 April, when all the 10 broadcasts were already captured, I received a letter of resignation. A few days later the financial director of RTVI requested a meeting at which he stated that he was asking to consider this letter as invalid. I learned that I continue to work until 31 August. I have my own thoughts about what this nonsense is connected with, but I will not discuss it now - again I leave you room for speculation and fantasy. Thus, the state of sluggish schizophrenia (and I still seem to be working, but not working already) lasted for several months. 10 transmission saw the light, and now they are twisted for the second time.

And on September 30, friends told me that there was a “general meeting of the residents of our house” (of course, no one invited me), at which “the question was” about closing the channel. As Kharms would write, the people were informed: “our theater is closing - we are all sick.” RTVI went broke, fired almost all its employees and, naturally, looks to the future with hope and optimism. As I understand it, the now Russian channel RTVI will drive its bullshit out of Moscow and dilute it with the valiant, and most importantly - politically consistent - work of the American bureau. I see, right? Bobby died.

By and large, I don't give a damn what the reason was for ditching the canal: either they all skipped too quickly; whether secret investors were terrified by the misery and dilettantism of the new leadership; whether the political environment has changed; either all together ... what's the difference? You can, of course, long speculate on all this "rat fuss" or tell about the funny speeches of the authorities, the essence of which was reduced to the Ostap plan for turning Old Vasyukov into New Moscow, which peacefully coexisted with permanent wage delays (which is in itself the crudest violation of US law. But the Russians, as always, are confident that they have not written the law, and are very surprised and outraged when they have to bear responsibility).

Okay, enough. Everything is clear and more than obvious. In the words of one of my dear guests, Mikhail Mikhailovich Zhvanetsky: “Do not stand in this in all things - get away” ... It’s even good, probably, that the channel collapsed: perhaps it will be remembered after all without a squeamish smile ...

Hope we'll see you again. And thank you: for many years the life of my programs is largely your merit. And please be safe.

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