Matrix model for analyzing the online-platform strategies of Russian FM radio stations in the modern media environment

The study examines the strategies of Russian FM radio stations through the types of digital resources employed, the transformation of media content during platform-based distribution, and the intensity of observed infrastructural linkages. The empirical dataset comprises 800 Telegram posts published by Business FM, Mayak, Radio 1, and Dorozhnoye Radio in the first halves of 2024 and 2026. Telegram was selected as the model-testing environment because public channels allow the reproducible retrieval of complete chronological archives and reveal connections between radio stations and their other official digital resources. The study aims to develop and test a matrix model for the comparative analysis of radio stations’ platform presence. The research employs comparative quantitative content analysis and the classification of observed infrastructural linkages. The X-axis represents the type of official digital resource, while the Y-axis represents the relationship between a post and broadcast or platform-based production. The sum of the 16 matrix cells forms the Relative Platform Activity Index (RPAI). Intercoder reliability was high: Cohen’s κ reached 0.86 for a validation sample of 520 posts. The study’s scientific novelty lies in distinguishing between the intensity and configuration of platform presence. The RPAI indicates how regularly a radio station’s digital infrastructure is manifested in its editorial communication, whereas the distribution of values across the matrix identifies its specific configuration. Business FM’s RPAI increased from 7 to 98 points, Mayak’s from 73 to 91, and Radio 1’s from 88 to 98, while Dorozhnoye Radio’s index remained at 6 points. Similar RPAI values corresponded to different configurations: concentrated configurations for Business FM and Radio 1, a distributed media-holding configuration for Mayak, and low activity accompanied by structural change for Dorozhnoye Radio. The model can support editorial auditing and comparative analysis of legacy media platform strategies.