Russia-1

Russia-1 is a major state-owned television channel in Russia. It serves as the flagship station for the All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, known as VGTRK. The channel is a central part of the Russian media landscape. In 2008, it held the second largest audience in the country. During a typical week, 75% of urban Russians watched the channel. This was just behind the leading channel, Channel One, which had an 83% viewership rate. While the two channels share similar politics, they compete directly in the field of entertainment.

The history of the channel began in the Soviet Union. It first aired on 14 February 1956 as Programme Two. In its earliest years, the station only hosted programs produced by the Ministry of Education. These included educational content and children's programming. The broadcasts were in monochrome, meaning they were black and white. In 1968, the channel became the second home for the national newscast, Vremya. By 1975, the station successfully converted to color broadcasting. Two years later, it became a nationwide station across the entire Soviet Union.

As the era changed, the station's programming expanded to meet new needs. On January 1, 1982, the station officially began broadcasting more than just school lessons. It added culture, arts, and sports to its schedule. It also began showing documentaries, music videos, and movies. In 1984, the station was renamed All-Union Channel 2, or AUC2. It later pioneered the first rhythmic gymnastics broadcast in 1985. The channel also led in accessibility. By 1987, it was the first in the USSR to adopt sign language interpretation. This was later supplemented by subtitles for the hard of hearing.

The transition from Soviet to Russian television was a complex process. In 1990, Bella Kurkova, a People's Deputy, requested a separate station for the RSFSR. She believed central channels only reflected federal authorities. On July 13, 1990, the Supreme Soviet of Russia ended the national monopoly on broadcasting. This allowed for the launch of new Russian stations. On July 14, 1990, the All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company was officially established. Ivan Silaev, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR, helped acquire the necessary buildings and equipment.

A new era began on May 13, 1991, when the station launched as "Russian Television." It was led by Valentin Lazutkin, who served as deputy general manager. The channel aimed to provide a Western-style newscast called "Vesti." This program was designed to be acute, short, and operational. Unlike the older Vremya news, Vesti was intended to be free from censorship and bias. The station created four specialized studios to organize its content. These were named "News" for newscasts, "Republic" for current affairs, "Lad" for arts, and "Artel" for lifestyle.

The station faced extreme danger during political conflicts. During the August 1991 coup, the Emergency Committee stopped RTR's broadcast. However, the team organized secret, clandestine broadcasts to show the news to the world. In 1993, the channel faced a violent crisis in Moscow. The building housing the "Vesti" studio was shelled during a fight. Armed men even broke into the studios through a hole made by a grenade launcher. Despite the fire and danger, staff members like Irina Vinogradova saved important footage. Technical Director Stanislav Bunevich worked to maintain control of the broadcasts.

Today, the channel has grown into a massive media organization. In 1997, the name changed to RTR-1 to distinguish it from the new RTR-2 channel. By May 1998, the network included various regional television and radio services. It now broadcasts in 54 different languages used by the peoples of Russia. This makes it one of the largest media groups in Europe. The channel continues to be a vital source of information and entertainment for millions of viewers across the country.