View source for All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company

{{Short description|Russian national state-owned broadcaster}}
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{{Expand Russian|Всероссийская государственная телевизионная и радиовещательная компания|date=December 2015}}
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{{Infobox company
| name = Federal State Unitary Enterprise "The Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Company"
| trade_name = Russian Television and Radio
| former_name = Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (RTR)
| native_name = {{lang|ru|Всероссийская государственная телевизионная и радиовещательная компания}}
| logo = VGTRK logo (2012-).svg
| type = [[Unitary enterprise|Federal State Unitary Enterprise]]
| industry = [[Mass media]]
| fate =
| predecessor = <!-- or: | predecessors = -->
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| founded = {{Start date and age|1990|07|14|df=yes}}
| founder = <!-- or: | founders = -->
| defunct = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| hq_location_city = [[Moscow]]
| hq_location_country = [[Russia]]
| area_served = <!-- or: | areas_served = -->
| key_people = [[Oleg Dobrodeev]]
| products =
| services = [[Television]], [[radio]], [[online]]
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| owner = [[Government of Russia|Federal Government]] of [[Russia]] ([[unitary enterprise]])
| num_employees =
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| parent =
| website = {{URL|http://vgtrk.ru}}<br />{{URL|http://www.vgtrk.com}}
}}
The '''Federal State Unitary Enterprise "The Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Company"''' ('''RTR'''; {{langx|ru| Федеральное государственное унитарное предприятие “Всероссийская государственная телевизионная и радиовещательная компания” (ВГТРК)|Federal'noye gosudarstvennoye unitarnoye predpriyatiye “Vserossiyskaya gosudarstvennaya televizionnaya i radioveshchatel'naya kompaniya” ('''VGTRK''')}}) or '''Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Company''',<ref>{{Cite web |title=RTR is the largest media corporation in Russia |url=http://www.vgtrk.com|website=Сетевое издание "Государственный Интернет-Канал "Россия"}}</ref> also known as '''Russia Television and Radio''' ({{lang-rus|Россия. Телевидение и радио|Rossiya. Televideniye i radio}}), is a national [[State media|state-owned]] broadcaster which operates many television and radio channels in 53 of [[Languages of Russia|Russia's languages]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Romanova|first1=Alisa|script-title=ru:"Трудности перевода". Национальное вещание ВГТРК|url=http://www.vesti.ru/videos?vid=305899|access-date=2 March 2018|work=BECTИ.ru|date=4 November 2010|language=ru}}</ref> The company was founded in 1990 and is based in Moscow.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Company|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=23137158|website=bloomberg.com|publisher=Bloomberg|access-date=2 March 2018}}</ref>
The broadcasting of the All-Russia TV and radio channels is located in Moscow, and also via the regional transmitting centres of the [[Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Network]] forming the terrestrial transmitting network. TV and radio channels from Moscow are delivered to the regions via satellite and terrestrial communication channels.
During the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]], the broadcaster has been accused of spreading propaganda and [[disinformation]], while also inciting discord and hate.<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 May 2022 |title=Weapons of mass deception. Russian television propaganda in wartime |url=https://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/osw-commentary/2022-05-06/weapons-mass-deception-russian-television-propaganda-wartime |access-date=11 July 2022 |website=OSW Centre for Eastern Studies |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Michałowska-Kubś |first1=Aleksandra |last2=Kubś |first2=Jakub |date=27 May 2022 |title=Coining lies. Kremlin spends 1.5 Billion per year to spread disinformation and propaganda |url=https://www.debunk.org/coining-lies-state-budget-financing-of-russian-propaganda |access-date=11 July 2022 |website=[[Debunk.org]] |language=en}}</ref> Unlike RT, it was mostly produced for internal consumption. In 2017, one of its channels, [[RTR-Planeta|RTR Planeta]], was banned in [[Lithuania]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://euvsdisinfo.eu/propaganda-in-demand/|title=Propaganda in demand|website=EUvsDisinfo|date=11 January 2017 |access-date=16 April 2023}}</ref>
==History==
On 21 June 1990, the 1st Congress of People's Deputies adopted a resolution on RSFSR media ascribing the RSFSR Council of Ministers to take measures to establish the Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting of the RSFSR. On 14 July 1990, a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR established the Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company. The former deputy editor of the newspaper [[Moscow News]], Oleg Poptsov, was appointed as its first chairman.
On 10 December 1990 [[Radio Rossii]] began broadcasting. It first began broadcasting on a radio channel with the first program of All-Union Radio, as well as with "Mayak" radio channel and the third with the Third All-Union Radio program. On 13 May 1991, the VGTRK began broadcasting television to Russia (originally scheduled to begin broadcasting in March 1991 but constantly postponed) and broadcast with the Second Central Television program. On 16 September 1991, the Second Program of USSR Central Television closed, and VGTRK took over the remaining airtime. On 18 April 1992, channel Rossiya 4 began broadcasting.
On 6 July 1992, the fourth channel started broadcasting to Russian universities, and broadcast with the 4th channel, Ostankino, until 16 January 1994, and from 17 January 1994, with the NTV channel, and as a part of RTR television which had created the "Russian Universities" feed. In February 1996, by [[Decree of the President of Russia|Presidential decree]] of [[Boris Yeltsin]], Oleg Poptsov stepped down from the post of RTR Chairman. Eduard Sagalaev was appointed president of RTR's "Moscow Independent Broadcasting Corporation (MIBC)" TV6 Moscow. On 11 November 1996, the "Russian Universities" block stopped broadcasting, and its airtime passed to NTV. The first satellite TV networks "The RTR TV network", "Meteor Sports" and "Meteor Cinema" were launched. On 1 November 1997, the VGTRK began broadcasting an educational channel called "Culture". It began broadcasting on a VHF channel.
On 8 May 1998, the presidential decree "On Improvement of Public Electronic Media" was drafted based on information regarding RTR. On the basis of the decree of the All-Russian State Television and Radio Company, the All-Russian radio station "Mayak" and the Russian State Radio Company [[Voice of Russia]] were created.
In 2000, VGTRK became one of the members of [[Euronews]] and organized the Russian-language service of this organization. In 2002, VGTRK acquired a share in Euronews' stock.
On 3 December 2012, the VGTRK began test broadcasts of the first Russian cinema TV channel, "Kino-TV". On 17 December 2012, the VGTRK began test broadcasts with the high-definition TV channel Rossiya HD. On 29 December 2012, Rossiya HD started regular broadcasting. On 29 January 2013, at the Annual Exhibition and Forum of Television and Telecommunications (CSTB-2013), RTR announced the merger of eleven digital channels under a single brand, called "Digital TV". It includes documentary, sports, entertainment and movie channels, of which are "Russian-HD", "My Planet", "Nauka 2.0", "Sport", "Sport-1-HD", " The Fighting Club", "Russian Roman", "Russian Bestseller", "Strana" and "Sarafan". On 9 May 2013, the channel began broadcasting a documentary about Russian history "History", of which had also entered the TV package "Digital TV". On 4 April 2014, the VGTRK began broadcasting a channel dedicated to domestic detective films and TV series under the name "Russian Detective". 15 April 2014 saw the launch of the official international cognitive entertainment channel IQ HD. On 1 June 2014, the launch of the Mult channel was announced.
As a reaction to the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russian invasion of Ukraine]], the European Union expressed plans for a broad ban on three of the biggest Russian state-run broadcasters in early May 2022. These TV channels are "mouthpieces that amplify Putin's lies and propaganda aggressively" said EU Commission President [[Ursula von der Leyen]]. BBC reported that they are thought to include the widely watched Russian-language VGTRK chanels Rossiya and [[RTR-Planeta|RTR Planeta]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=4 May 2022 |title=Ukraine war: EU plans Russian oil ban and war crimes sanctions |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61318689 |access-date=5 May 2022}}</ref> Before the EU has already suspended RT and Sputnik, which broadcast in English, German and Spanish.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal |title=The EU's "Ban" of RT and Sputnik |url=https://verfassungsblog.de/the-eus-ban-of-rt-and-sputnik/ |access-date=5 May 2022 |journal=Verfassungsblog: On Matters Constitutional |year=2022 |doi=10.17176/20220308-121232-0 |language=de-DE|last1=Baade |first1=Björnstjern }}</ref> On 8 July, the company was sanctioned.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 July 2022 |title=New sanctions hit Russian TV, media in crackdown on disinformation |url=https://www.nationalobserver.com/2022/07/08/news/new-sanctions-hit-russian-tv-media-crackdown-disinformation |access-date=11 July 2022 |website=Canada's National Observer |language=en}}</ref>
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced in June 2022 that in the region around the occupied southern Ukrainian city of [[Kherson]], the one million inhabitants in the area would henceforth be supplied with the most important Russian channels instead of Ukrainian television. In particular, those of the state broadcasting group VGTRK were activated.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=AFP |author1-link=Agence France-Presse |last2=Tunk |first2=Carola |title=Ukraine: Gesamte Region Cherson auf russisches Fernsehen umgestellt |url=https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/news/ukraine-gesamte-region-cherson-auf-russisches-fernsehen-umgestellt-li.238614 |access-date=21 June 2022 |website=Berliner Zeitung |date=21 June 2022 |language=de}}</ref>
In March 2022, [[YouTube]] blocked VGTRK's channel along other Russian state media outlets.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/5252122|title=YouTube заблокировал РБК, ТАСС, каналы МИА "Россия сегодня" и ВГТРК|language=ru|website=[[Kommersant]]|date=2022-03-12|access-date=2024-02-07|archive-date=2022-05-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220504052019/https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/5252122|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://zona.media/news/2022/03/11/yt|title=YouTube объявил о "немедленной блокировке" каналов, связанных с российскими государственными СМИ|language=ru|website=Mediazona|date=11 March 2022|access-date=2024-02-07|archive-date=2024-02-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240207090705/https://zona.media/news/2022/03/11/yt|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2024, YouTube blocked several dozen other channels from the corporation, which included the channels of the regional divisions in [[Rostov-on-Don]], [[Pskov]], [[Vologda]], [[Murmansk]] and others.<ref>{{Cite news|title=YouTube заблокировал несколько десятков аккаунтов ВГТРК|url=https://www.svoboda.org/a/youtube-zablokiroval-neskoljko-desyatkov-kanalov-vgtrk/32808103.html|website=Радио Свобода|date=2024-02-06|access-date=2024-02-07|language=ru|archive-date=2024-02-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240207001647/https://www.svoboda.org/a/youtube-zablokiroval-neskoljko-desyatkov-kanalov-vgtrk/32808103.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://zona.media/news/2024/02/06/vgtrk|title=YouTube заблокировал несколько десятков региональных каналов ВГТРК|language=ru|website=Медиазона|date=6 February 2024|access-date=2024-02-07|archive-date=2024-02-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240206194853/https://zona.media/news/2024/02/06/vgtrk/|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Operations==
VGTRK owns and operates five national television stations, two international networks, five radio stations, and 80 regional TV and radio networks. It also runs the information agency [[Rossiya Segodnya]].
The All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK) is Russia's largest media corporation. It comprises two national TV channels: "Rossiya 1", "Rossiya K" and also operates a children's channel named "Carousel", 89 regional TV and radio channels broadcasting in all regions of the Russian Federation, "Rossiya 24", Russia's first 24/7 news channel, "RTR Planeta", a TV channel operating worldwide since 2002, a Russian-language version of the "Euronews" TV channel; five radio channels: "Radio Rossiyi", "Mayak" (Lighthouse), "Kultura", "Vesti FM", "Yunost", and "Rossiya", and a public Internet channel combining online resources.
In early 1993, the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company acquired the status of a national broadcasting company. That same year, the VGTRK became a full member of the [[European Broadcasting Union]], entitled to key decisions in the EBU operation.
"Rossiya 1", the main TV channel, traces its history back to May 1991. Today, Rossiya 1 is a national channel that broadcasts over most of the country. The channel's audience comprises 98.5 percent of Russia's population and more than 50 million viewers in the CIS and Baltic countries. The "RTR Planeta" channel, an international version of "Rossiya 1", is watched in the U.S., Europe, Middle East, North Africa and China.
Rossiya TV is a developing company whose broadcasts carry information programs, TV miniseries and series, political journalism, talk shows, game shows, comedies and other game formats, full-length feature films and documentaries, sporting and political events along with other entertainment. Apart from acquiring broadcasting rights, Rossiya TV Channel was the first among the Russian TV channels to launch its own large-scale production of TV films, both full-length and miniseries, focusing on classics. Films represent about 35% of the total broadcasts by the Rossiya TV channel. The channel purchases film broadcasting rights in cooperation with 50 major production and distributor companies.
The main news program, ''Vesti'', is a leading information program in Russia. During the previous TV season, ''Vesti'' adopted a 24/7 production cycle with two-hour intervals, which allows for the news to be broadcast live across all Russian time zones.
===Television===
* [[Russia-1]] (Россия-1) — entertainment, news (formerly Russia, RTR-1, RTR & RTV)
* [[Russia-24]] (Россия-24) — news channel (formerly Vesti)
* [[Russia-K]] (Россия-К) — culture channel (there may also be a public television channel) (formerly Culture, RTR-2)
* [[Carousel (TV channel)|Carousel]] (Карусель) — children & teenager channel (jointly with [[Channel One Russia]])
====International channels====
* [[RTR-Planeta]] (РТР-Планета) — internationally broadcasting channel
** Different versions for CIS countries, Belarus, [[RTR Moldova|Moldova]], etc.
====Thematic and regional====
[[File:Digitalrussia-tv-logo.png|thumb|Digital Television brand logo (2016)]]
* [[Moscow 24 (TV channel)|Moscow 24]] (Москва 24) — News channel broadcasting in Moscow (formerly Stolitsa and TV Tsentr Stolitsa)
* 360° Moscow Region
* The Russian-language edition of [[Euronews]] named "Euronews in Russian language" (Euronews на Русском языке), not to be confused with "Evronovosti TV/Евроновости"
* 20 theme-channels under the brand "Digital Television".
* 90 regional TV channels in Russia
====Former channels====
* [[Bibigon]] (Бибигон) – channel dedicated to children and adolescents, replaced by Carousel in 2010.
* [[Russia-2]] (Россия-2) — sports, entertainment, documentaries, movies, news channel, acquired by [[Gazprom-Media]] in 2015, replaced by [[Match TV]]
===Radio===
* Radio Kultura – cultural radio, only broadcast terrestrially at 91.6 FM in Moscow
* [[Radio Mayak]] – general entertainment, current affairs, and [[adult contemporary music]]
* [[Radio Rossii]] – talk radio and regional programming
* [[Radio Yunost]] – Online only,  formerly European and American [[pop music]], now older Soviet music
* [[Vesti FM]] – news radio
== Executive board ==
Chairmen:
* {{ill|Oleg Poptsov|ru|Попцов, Олег Максимович |lt=Oleg Poptsov}} (1990–96)
* [[Eduard Sagalaev]] (1996–97)
* [[Nikolay Svanidze]] (1997–98)
* [[Mikhail Shvydkoy]] (1998–2000)
* [[Oleg Dobrodeev]] (2000–present)
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
{{Commons category inline}}
{{Portal|Companies}}
* {{Official website|http://www.vgtrk.com|VGTRK official website}} {{in lang|ru}}
{{Television in Russia}}
{{European Broadcasting Union Members}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1990 establishments in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Companies based in Moscow]]
[[Category:Mass media companies of Russia]]
[[Category:Mass media companies of the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Radio in Russia]]
[[Category:Radio in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Television networks in Russia]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1990]]
[[Category:Television in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Multilingual broadcasters]]
[[Category:Russia-1]]
[[Category:State media]]
[[Category:Federal State Unitary Enterprises of Russia]]