Russians' rating highest-yet as Putin faces the camera Q+A

MOSCOW, April 28 (Itar-Tass) - President Vladimir Putin earned his highest rating yet from Russian viewers of his televised question-and-answer session this year, more than 80 percent satisfaction with his performance surpassing all the ratings of his last 11 TV marathons, poll findings suggest. Last year's connect with the people scored 54 percent approval, said the All-Russia Public Opinion Research Centre (VCIOM), releasing results on Monday. Putin's four-hour-plus grilling took more than 70 questions. Only five percent of those surveyed thought that while content engaged them, the programme lasted too long, the analysts said. Pollsters' results suggested that 46 percent of those questioned showed interest in the president's performance. Fourteen percent of those surveyed watched the session from start to finish, 20 percent saw several live excerpts and 12 percent watched content from news bulletins. Fifty-three percent of respondents failed to tune in, the findings indicate, sociologists suggesting that the elderly and residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg paid most attention to the event. Events in Crimea were the topic recalled by the largest number, rated at 31 percent. Russian-Ukraine relations ranked second, at 18 percent. Putin’s reply to a question about a "First Lady" engaged seven percent. Only four percent remembered the president's response when asked about housing, public utilities and pensions. VCIOM surveyed 1,600 people in 130 settlements of 42 regions, territories and republics of Russia on April 19-20. The margin of error did not exceed 3.4 percent. Learn more on itar-tass.com