600 Seconds (Russian: 600 секунд; 1987–1993) was an immensely popular TV news program that aired in the Soviet Union and briefly in the post-Soviet Russia. It was a nightly broadcast from Leningrad TV with anchor Alexander Nevzorov.
The program of the glasnost period was distinguished by its fast tempo and the display of the countdown from 600 to 0. The anchor Nevzorov used the broadcast in order to criticize corrupt Soviet officials, promote preserving the Soviet Union (in the Baltic states, he is known as a fierce opponent of the people's independence movement). Later – during early Yeltsin years – the broadcast became a mouthpiece of Russian nationalist opposition to Yeltsin's policies and was banned twice – definitely after Yeltsin's victory in his conflict with the rebel parliament. The Letter of Forty-Two called for it to be cancelled.
Famous quotes containing the word seconds:
“You have known your friend so long and loved him so much, and then all of a sudden you are so mad at him, you say, I could just kill you and you still like each other, because you have always been friends and you know in your mind you are going to be friends in a few seconds anyway.”
—Anonymous Twelve-Year-Old. As quoted in Children’s Friendships by Zick Rubin, ch. 3 (1980)