Channel One () is a Russian federal television channel. Its headquarters are located at Ostankino Technical Center near the Ostankino Tower in Moscow. The majority of its shares are owned or indirectly controlled by the state.
It was created by decree of Russian president Boris Yeltsin to replace Ostankino Television Channel One, which in turn replaced Programme One in 1991.
From April 1995 to September 2002, the channel was known as Public Russian Television (, ORT ). The main news programmes are Vremya and Novosti.
Channel One's main competitors are the Russia-1, NTV, 5TV and TV Centre channels. The channel has over 2,900 employees as of 2023.
History
When the Soviet Union was abolished, the Russian Federation took over most of its structures and institutions. One of the first acts of Boris Yeltsin's new government was to sign a presidential decree on 27 December 1991, providing for Russian jurisdiction over the central television system. The All-Union State Television and Radio Company (Gosteleradio) was transformed into the Russian State Television and Radio Company Ostankino, a shareholding company, with 51% of its shares remaining with the state.
Boris Abramovich Berezovsky, a Russian oligarch, gained control over ORT Television to replace the failing Programme One. He appointed the popular anchorman and producer Vladislav Listyev as the CEO of ORT. Three months later Listyev was assassinated amid a fierce struggle for control of advertising sales.
A presidential decree of 30 November 1994 transformed Ostankino into a closed joint-stock company, called Russian Public Television (Obshchestvennoe Rossiyskoye Televidenie, or ORT). The shares were distributed between state agencies (51%) and private shareholders, including numerous banks (49%). The partial privatization was inspired by the intolerable financial situation of Ostankino owing to huge transmission costs and a bloated payroll (total staff of about 10,000 in early 1995). In February 1995, the channel announced it would stop airing commercial advertising which was seen by network executives as a "source of great irritation and disappointment". It wasn't clear when the law would be passed; its lifting depended on the introduction of new advertising rules. After the fallout from Listyev's death on 1 March, Alexander Yakovlev resigned from his post as chairman, as the channel was facing an uncertain future on the verge of becoming ORT.
Following the 1998 financial collapse, which almost resulted in them becoming insolvent, the channel obtained a government loan of $100 million from state-controlled Vnesheconombank.Television in the Russian Federation: Organisational Structure, Program Production and Audience Also in 1998, the closed joint stock company was transformed into an open stock company. However, controlling votes on the board of directors remained in the hands of structures linked to then-Kremlin-connected businessman Boris Berezovsky. Thanks to this state of affairs, Berezovsky was able to preserve control over the channel's cash flows as well as over its editorial line until 2000.
From 1 April 1995 to late 2002, the channel was called ORT (ОРТ—Общественное Российское Телевидение, Obshchestvennoye Rossiyskoye Televideniye; Public Russian Television). It maintained most of Ostankino Channel One's program lineup, many dating to the Soviet era, such as Vremya, KVN, Chto? Gde? Kogda?, V mire zhivotnykh and Travelers' Club; the last two are no longer broadcast on this channel.
Channel One was the host broadcaster of Eurovision Song Contest 2009, announced in December 2008.
On 8 May 2022, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury placed sanctions on Channel One Russia pursuant to for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Government of Russia.
In November 2024, the German government ordered the closure of Channel One's local bureau in Berlin and expelled its employees, citing security threats to the European Union and the channel's role in the formation of public opinion.
Broadcasting The main broadcasting center is in Ostankino Tower, Moscow. In September 2008, the channel installed new digital audio mixing systems in their new state-of-the-art broadcast complex located in the Ostankino Television Technical Centre in Moscow. The new Channel One news facility opened in March 2008 and features advanced server technology with equipment from manufacturers such as Evertz. Channel One began broadcasting a 1080i high-definition signal on 24 December 2012.
At the end of 2018, a separate feed of Channel One's schedule was launched for each of the eleven time zones of Russia. Previously, there had been only five feeds for the entire country—one operating on Moscow Time and variations time-shifted ahead by two, four, six, and eight hours. This caused programming in some time zones to air one hour earlier or later than the time specified in schedules.
Channel One can be streamed on the internet for free on 1tv.ru for viewers in Russia and 1tv.com is for international viewers, though most programs of the Russian version of the channel can be seen internationally too.
Production Channel One has produced many films, including four of the highest-grossing Russian movies after the Soviet collapse, Night Watch (2004), The Turkish Gambit (2005), Day Watch (2006), and The Irony of Fate 2 (2007). It airs the Russian adaptations of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Survivor, and Star Factory.
Original programming
Children's Good Night, Little Ones! Sesame Street Yeralash Comedy Big Difference – sketch comedy Calambur – sketch comedy Oba-na – comedy Cooking Gusto Drama Adjutants of Love – telenovela Azazel – Boris Akunin adaptation Brezhnev – biopic Brief Guide To A Happy Life – romantic drama Catherine the Great – biopic Children of the Arbat – Anatoly Rybakov adaptation The Dark Side of the Moon – detective series The Dawns Here Are Quiet – war Deadly Force – detective series Empire under Attack – history Ex-Wife As the Reels Turn 1: With Friends Like You (Russian: Как вращаются барабаны 1: С такими друзьями, как ты) - comedy and drama series As the Reels Turn 2: The Gamble (Russian: Как вращаются барабаны 2: Игра) - comedy and drama series As the Reels Turn 3: Blinded by Love (Russian: Как вращаются барабаны 3: Ослепленный любовью) - comedy and drama series The Fall of the Empire – history Hot Ice – sports drama House with Lilies – period drama Investigation Held by ZnaToKi – detective series Klim – detective series The Life and Adventures of Mishka Yaponchik – biopic Mata Hari – biopic The Method – detective series Moscow Saga – Vasili Aksyonov adaptation Nine Lives of Nestor Makhno – biopic Pyotr Leschenko. Everything That Was... – biopic Raid – detective series Russian Translation A Second Before... – fantasy Silver Spoon – crime The Sniffer – detective series Spetsnaz – war Streets of Broken Lights – detective series The Thaw The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas adaptation Trace – detective series Trifles of Life – telenovela Trotsky – biopic Wedding Ring – telenovela Yalta-45 – war Yesenin – biopic Game shows All or Nothing Field of Wonders The People Versus The Weakest Link What? Where? When? Reality shows Star Factory – talent show Last Hero – version of Survivor Let's Get Married (Давай поженимся) – helping people find people they are right for Minute of Fame – talent show One to One! – talent show The Voice – talent show The Voice Kids – talent show Sports Lednikoviy period ("Ice Age", Ледниковый период) – ice skating show Ледниковый период – 2 Football Review Tennis Review ATP Uncovered WTA All Access WTA One on One with Chris Evert Australian Open Roland Garros Wimbledon Championships US Open Davis Cup Fed Cup News and Talk shows Evening Urgant – Ivan Urgant's talk show Good Morning Gordon (Гражданин Гордон / Гордон Кихот) – Alexander Gordon's talk shows Let Them Talk Dmitri Borisov's talk show Pozner (Познер) – Vladimir Pozner's current affairs program Prozhektorperiskhilton – satirical talk show with Ivan Urgant, Garik Martirosyan, Sergei Svetlakov and Alexander Tsekalo Vremya ("Time", Время) – news program, on air since 1968 Vremya Pokazhet ("Time Will Tell", Вре́мя пока́жет) Other In the World of Animals – zoology Song of the Year – music festival Till 16 and older... – problems of young people Travelers' Club – travel Vzglyad – current affairs
International series that were broadcasting on Channel One
American series Lost (, Ostat'sya v Zhyvykh, "To Stay Alive" in English) Lie To Me (, Obmani menya, "Deceive me" in English) Ugly Betty (, Durnushka, "Ugly girl" in English) FlashForward (, Vspomni, chto budet, "Remember what will be" in English) Boardwalk Empire (, Podpolʹnaya imperiya, "The Underground Empire" in English) Body of Proof (, Sledstvie po telu, "The investigation of the body"), the series premiered on 7 February 2011. Suits (, Fors-mazhory, "Force Majeures") premiered on 26 September 2011 Terra Nova premiered on 27 September 2011 White Collar () Californication (, Califreniya) Ray Donovan (, Ray Donovan) Bates Motel (, Motel' Baits) Brazilian telenovelas Tropicaliente April – December 1995 Mulheres de Areia – 3 January July 1996 A Próxima Vítima July 1996 – winter 1997 O Rei do Gado 1997–1998 Anjo mau 1998 Avenida Brasil 2013 Other Forbrydelsen (, Ubiystvo "The Kill") premiered on 28 September 2011 Sherlock (, Sherlock Holmes)
Former International and Russian animated series
Nu, Pogodi! () 1991–2006 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Alvin and the Chipmunks Challenge of the GoBots 1994 Les Misérables () 1995 Widget Autumn – Winter 1995 Andy Panda 1995–1996 (only in Muftfireworks ()) Woody Woodpecker (As "Woody and his Friends") 1995 – December 1997 (only in Muftfireworks ()) Monster Force 22 January – 7 February 1996 Dog City 1996 The Legend of Prince Valiant Summer 1996 Fievel's American Tails Summer 1996 (in Muftfireworks ()), April – May 2002 Exosquad Autumn 1996 The Pink Panther 1996–1997 (in Muftfireworks ()), 1998 Orson & Olivia Winter-Spring 1997 The Legends of Treasure Island Spring 1997 The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest 30 October 1997 – 29 October 1998 Albert - the 5th Musketeer Autumn 1998 Action Man 9 March – 23 April 1999 Around the World in 80 days May – July 1999 Phantom 2040 10 July – September 1999 Beast Wars 29 November 1999 – 20 January 2000 Extreme Ghostbusters 23 January – 29 March 2000 All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series 13 November 2000 – 2002 Pororo the Little Penguin Winter 2003 – 18 May 2009 Fly Tales 12 September 1999 – 2000 Kaput & Zösky 14 June 2003 – 2004 Tayo the Little Bus 10 May 2010 – 2019 Cocomong 2008 – 2015
Anime
Maya the Honey Bee () 1991 – 1993 The Flying House 1992 – 1993, 1994 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (; ) 1994 Topo Gigio () 21 November 1994 – 1 February 1995 Wonder Beat Scramble () 6 February – 27 March 1995 Pokémon 18 December 2000 – 3 September 2001 Yume no Crayon Oukoku 2001 – 2002 Ojamajo Doremi 2003 – 2006 Ashita no Nadja 2007
Walt Disney Presents DuckTales 1991, 1992 Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers 1991, 1992 Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears 1992 TaleSpin 1992
Editorial independence
A 2024 study found that throughout Putin's tenure as president or prime minister, Channel One has covered him in a positive light.
Political coverage