Mr. Kulistikov, for his part, said he was surprised by the vociferous reaction, but not disturbed. On the contrary, he called it “the biggest promotion effect in the history of NTV,” noting that the channel had boasted the largest market share for five weeks running. He said he was prepared to defend the film’s assertions in court, and he cheerfully dismissed accusations that he was producing Soviet-style propaganda.

“No, no, no,” he said. “Soviet propaganda, well, was not so shocking and so aggressive and humoristic.”

But it is a sign of the times that some of Mr. Kulistikov’s employees at NTV took the step of publicly condemning the film.

Catherina Gordeyeva, an NTV filmmaker who took part in all but one of the protests, said she was driven to tears by “Anatomy of a Protest” and resolved to quit the next day. One of her colleagues, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the dilemma over whether to quit had overtaken all other conversational topics. Aleksandr Urzhanov, an NTV producer, posted an appeal on Facebook condemning “Anatomy of a Protest” and urging opposition activists to keep pressure on the station.

“Every day I hear, ‘What of these protests? We went and nothing changed,’ ” he wrote. “I know what changed. I know that my window of opportunity, which I have to tug at every day, was thrown wide open in December. It will remain open as long as you want it to, as long as you are prepared to demand independent television.”

The boycott of NTV, however, has proven painful for journalists, some of whom confirm that longtime sources, like Ms. Panfilova, will no longer accept their calls. Ms. Gordeyeva, who is promoting a documentary about cancer, was cut from a morning radio program because of her affiliation. But she has reconsidered her impulse to quit, reasoning that liberal-minded journalists can achieve more from inside the system.

“I don’t intend to give up this place so easily,” she said. “I don’t see for myself any other way to do what I want to do in Russia today. There is no other channel like this one.”