This book is a close examination of the role of television in the political transition from communism to democracy in Russia. Based on first-hand interviews and extensive field research, this is a very timely, riveting book that sheds much light not only on the Russian political landscape, but also on the role of television in politics.

'Television saved Russia, ' the Russian president said. Changing Channels vividly recreates this exciting time, as television both helped and hindered the Russian nation's struggle to create a new democracy.

Ellen Mickiewicz's timely book, Changing Channels, is a chastening reminder that, seven years ago, Mikhail Gorbachev and his Central Committee advisers had virtually no understanding of the century's most powerful medium.