Analysis of a Frontline Series, "Russian Roulette"

STATION: KCET and other PBS stations

DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY: Dan Chambers, June Cross, Sharon Tiller

The subject of this program is the "safety and security of the entire Russian arsenal." The fear is that something will happen "sooner rather than later," such as a retaliatory nuclear strike based on false or misleading information.

The assumption is that the audience needs to have this information in order to understand what the United States faces in the new world that has emerged after the end of the Cold War. Many thought that the end of that era would signal a new era of peace, with a reduction in the tensions and fears accompanying the former nuclear threat. The end of the Cold War has given impetus to efforts at reducing military expenditures across the board. Ever since World War II, the size of the military budget has been tied to fears of Communist aggression and the perception that the Communist nations were intent on spreading their ideology to every other nation of the world. The disintegration of the Soviet empire has not removed all of the threats from the world stage, and indeed that disintegration has itself created new tensions in some parts of the world as ethnic groups long held in check by the Soviets are now fighting among themselves for supremacy in certain areas. Still, the end of the Cold Wa

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up in Moscow for analysis. One problem noted is that this sophisticated system has fallen into disrepair, leaving large gaps in coverage. In part, Russia had lost elements of the system to former republics, and some of the republics have destroyed elements of the system. A less sophisticated backup system is now used, leaving gaps: "The system is now so run-down that it is hard to differentiate between airborne objects." It is now possible for a launching by mistake, leading to the destruction of cities in other nuclear states. The U.S. system is also analyzed to show the difference and to show what the U.S. may give in part to the Russians to protect the system and to protect form an accidental launch. The U.S. system can now respond in just 10 minutes and can assist Moscow if it is ascertained that Moscow is under attack. PROBLEM ANALYSIS/TOPIC ANALYSIS The analysis of this problem follows a logical pattern. The narrator is distinctly unemotional and matter-of-fact at all times, but his low-key approach does suggest the seriousness of the issues involved. Some of the analysis comes through the narration, less in terms of direct analysis and more through the arrangement of topics and the way the viewer is guided
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Some common words found in the essay are:
ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE, Soviet Union, PRODUCTION ELEMENTS, Cold War, ANALYSIS/TOPIC ANALYSIS, TOPICS Frontline, War II, Russian American, NARRATOR Lyman, Norway Russia, stock footage, cold war, russian system, scientific rocket, supporting material, leaving gaps, elements system, production elements, soviet union, former soviet,
Approximate Word count = 1473
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)