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. 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.