"Just five years ago, at the end of 1999, Russia celebrated the seventy-fifth anniversary of the inception of regularly scheduled radio broadcasting in the country. The landmark offers a good occasion to reflect on the past and present of Russian radio. For most of the twentieth century the medium o ... perated in a totalitarian state characterized by profound social stagnation. For the past dozen years - and at an increasing pace since the anniversary - the situation has been quite different. This article briefly explores the past differences and the growing present-day similarities between Russian and American radio." (Abstract) more