NorthEast Radio Watch 5/22/2023: Extortion Charge Against NYC Russian Broadcaster

In this week’s issue… NYC Russian broadcaster accused of extortion – NH translator revived after long silence – Promotion for CT’s Rivers – Remembering Boston’s “Miss Jean,” B104.7’s Palmer, CT’s McDonough, Wyler

By SCOTT FYBUSH

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*We don’t write much here about Russian-language radio, but “Davidzon Radio” in NEW YORK, aka WSNR (620 Jersey City NJ), is as big as it gets in that universe – and so it’s a big deal when its owner, Gregory Davidzon, is being accused of extortion.

The New York Post reports that Inna Vernikov, a New York City council member who represents a heavily Russian district in Brooklyn, is claiming that when she ran for her seat in 2021, Davidzon demanded that she hire “someone from his team” to work on his campaign, and that she spend $30,000 on advertising on WSNR. In exchange, she says, Davidzon promised to support her on WSNR and make sure she won her race.

She refused to hire Davidzon’s staffer, spent only about $3000 on the station, and still won her race in 2021. Now, she says, Davidzon is providing financial backing to run one of his own WSNR employees as a rival to her in the upcoming primary. She says that employee, Igor Kazatsker, has been benefiting from free ads on WSNR that he’s not reporting as campaign expenses.

“I don’t take well to extortion,” Vernikov told the Post; a lawyer for Kazatsker calls the claims “false and defamatory.”