 | This article has multiple issues. Please helpimprove it or discuss these issues on thetalk page.(Learn how and when to remove these messages) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
|
 The final logo for Soviet Central Television, used from 1982 to 1991 | |
| Type | Broadcasttelevision (analog) |
|---|---|
| Country | |
First air date | 9 March 1938; 87 years ago (1938-03-09) |
| Availability | Free-to-air |
| Founded | 1 May 1931; 94 years ago (1931-05-01) |
| TV stations | Programme One[a] Programme Two[b] Moscow Programme[c] Programme Four[e] Leningrad Television[f] Technical Programme[g] |
| Owner | Government of the Soviet Union |
Launch date | 22 March 1951; 74 years ago (1951-03-22) |
| Dissolved | 27 December 1991; 34 years ago (1991-12-27) |
Picture format | SECAM (576i4:3SDTV) |
TheCentral Television of the USSR (Russian:Центральное телевидение СССР,romanized: Tsentral'noye televideniye SSSR; abbreviatedCT USSR,SCTV [Russian:ЦТ СССР,romanized: TsT SSSR]) was thestatetelevision broadcaster of theSoviet Union.
Initially, the service was operated, together with the national radio service, by theMinistry of Culture. Later it was operated by theGosteleradio committee, under theCommunications Ministry and the Information and Press Ministry, and later aCouncil of Ministers-controlled network of television and radio broadcasting.
Radio was the dominant medium in the formerSoviet Union, however, in the 1930s preparations for television were in full swing.[citation needed] On 1 October 1934, the first television sets were made available to the public. The next year, the first television broadcasts began.[citation needed] TheSoviet Union television service began full-time experimental test broadcasts on 1 March 1938.[citation needed] Regular public programming began on 9 March 1938 – with an evening of programs, which included news, documentary films, and entertainment on Channel 1 inMoscow.[citation needed] At the same time,Channel 5 Leningrad, the national television service from Leningrad and the northernSoviet Union, was launched on 7 July the same year.[citation needed]
Programs were stopped in 1941 at the start ofOperation Barbarossa, for fear that theShabolovka transmitter would be used as anenemy beacon. The same thing happened in Leningrad due to the almost four years siege of the city.[citation needed] The USSR television service began experimental test broadcasts on 7 May 1945 (two days before theGerman surrender), in preparation for its full reopening. On 15 December, the service resumed.[1] Regular public programming resumed on 7 March 1948.[citation needed]
The USSR television service temporarily stopped broadcasts in December 1948 for a major upgrade of the broadcast equipment, but by 1 May the next year, Leningrad and the northern/northwestern USSR resumed television broadcasts for thePalace Square May Day Parade.[citation needed] Regular programming resumed on 16 June 1949, but was now broadcasting in625 lines – a first in the world.[citation needed]
On 22 March 1951, Moscow TV was renamed, to avoid confusion by viewers about the forthcoming local channels, becoming the Central Television Station, later known as Programme 1. Leningrad's television service was also renamed Leningrad Television. It continued its national broadcasts. The following year, the Soviet government claimed that its television was the best in the world; among them was the reach of the transmitter, 200 kilometres for the Moscow transmitter against 80 kilometres from an American transmitter.[2] Broadcasts werereceived from a long distance inSweden by a radio technician in the middle of the year, four years before Sweden had its own television service, with reception from Moscow of a two-and-a-half hour variety programme.[3]
On 26 August 1952, the Leningrad Television Centre was inaugurated, the USSR's first state-of-the-art television studio. Broadcasts were made available inTomsk in early 1953, becoming the first city inSiberia to have access to television.[4] The former Hermitage Cinema was retooled as a television viewing house on 25 December 1953.[5] In October 1954, a 20-minute highlight film of a friendly match between British teamArsenal andDynamo Moscow was broadcast onBBC Television.[6]
OnNew Year's Day 1955 the Central Television Station began transmitting daily programming.[citation needed] On 14 February 1956, the new Moscow Programme commenced broadcasting for viewers in Moscow and in the surroundingMoscow Oblast. That same year it was announced that 75 new television stations were being set up and by 1960, Soviet Central Television would have an audience of 25 million.[7]
The USSR television service (both Programme 1, Programme 2 and Moscow Programme) began experimental colour broadcast tests on 14 January 1960.[citation needed] The next year, Leningrad Television moved its studios and officers to larger premises.[citation needed]
The USSR authorities began construction of atelevision center inOstankino in 1963 for the television networks. It was opened in 1967 as part of the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of theOctober Revolution. Leningrad would soon follow suit the next year as the newly renovated and expanded Leningrad Television Broadcasting Center reopened its doors.[citation needed]
On 29 March 1965, Programme Three commenced broadcasting. It was originally an educational channel. This channel was shown only in the major cities in the European USSR (e.g. Moscow andLeningrad), and its programming was co-produced with theUSSR Ministry of Education, oriented towards the nation's student population at all levels from pre-school till college.[citation needed]
In 1965, CT USSR established a satellite network to expand the television service nationwide.[citation needed]
In 1967, the all-new, youth, sport and entertainment network Programme 4 was launched. Programme 3, which was from the beginning available to Moscow only, began broadcasting to the entire USSR via satellite in 1982. Thus, it was renamed All-Union Programme for this purpose and moved to channel 2 in 1977, whileMoscow Programme switched to channel 3. Science and technology programming formerly on Programme 4 moved to Programme 6 when that channel was launched on 25 December 1971.[citation needed]
Notable annual traditions of the Soviet Central Television network included the telecasts of theRed Square demonstrations onMay Day,Victory Day and theOctober Revolution anniversary parades, and the broadcast of the filmThe Irony of Fate (Or Enjoy Your Bath!) onNew Year's Eve night, right before theCPSUGeneral Secretary's New Year message, followed by theKremlin chimes and the playing ofSoviet national anthem, and ending withLittle Blue Light New Year's Edition. Concerts and musical programs also commemorated these and other national holidays. Since 1971 it was also the official network for the USSR'sPesnya goda All-Union National Soviet Music Festival aired on New Year's Day, also soon becoming a holiday practice for viewers across the nation.[citation needed]
Test colour broadcasting started in Moscow as early as January 1960 using OSKM system (625 lines version ofNTSC), but lasted only a few months. The OSKM abbreviation means "Simultaneous system with quadrature modulation" (In Russian: Одновременная Система с Квадратурной Модуляцией[8]). It used the color coding scheme that was later used inPAL (YUV instead ofYIQ), because it was based onD/K monochrome standard, 625/50.The color subcarrier frequency was 4.4296875 MHz and the bandwidth of UVchroma signals was near 1.5 MHz.[9]
Only circa 4000 TV sets of 4 models (Raduga,[10] Temp-22, Izumrud-201 and Izumrud-203[11]) were produced for studying the real quality of TV reception. These TVs were not commercially available, despite being included in the goods catalog for trade network of the USSR. The broadcasting with this system lasted about 3 years and was ceased well before SECAM transmissions started in the USSR. None of the current multi-standard TV receivers can support this TV system.[citation needed]
SÉCAM Colour television was introduced on 1 October 1967, making theSoviet Union the fourth country inEurope to switch to colour broadcast, after theUnited Kingdom'sBBC2,West Germany'sARD andZDF, andFrance'sORTF (seeTimeline of the introduction of color television in countries), again ready for the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of theOctober Revolution on 7 November 1967. Moscow Programme and Leningrad Television were the first colour broadcasters, even though the 7 November 1967 parade was broadcast in monochrome on the main national channels and Programme 4. CT USSR chose theFrench SÉCAM colour standard, which would later be adopted across the Eastern Bloc such asEast Germany,Poland,Czechoslovakia,Hungary,Bulgaria, theMongolian People's Republic,North Korea andNorth Vietnam. A colour set in 1967 cost US$1,200.[12]
By 1976, full-colour broadcasts began throughout the entireSoviet Union using the SECAM format on all television programs broadcast on all the national channels:Programme One,Programme Two,Moscow Programme, Programme Four and Programme Five – Leningrad Television, and in all the republican networks. That same year, Soviet Central Television displayed aUS president for the first time - a fifteen-minute documentary of president-electJimmy Carter produced by theAmerican government.[13]
The hosting of the1980 Summer Olympics byMoscow was a source of pride for theEastern Bloc. However, the Sovietinvasion of Afghanistan in 1979 had caused outrage in the west, leading to aboycott of the games by 64 western-aligned nations. CT USSR, as the host nation broadcaster, presented a colour broadcast of the Games to the world, and in Soviet territory the Games were broadcast on the two main channels with additional coverage on Program 3, Program 4 and Leningrad Television as well as the republican channels in Belarus, Ukraine (football) and Estonia (sailing). The other republican stations also simulcast and highlighted the entire event.[citation needed]
In 1988, theUSSR-builtGorizont satellite was launched, providing television programming to much ofEurope andnorthern Africa, and even eastern parts of theAmericas. The programmes of all theEastern European socialist republics, including the CT USSR channels, were broadcast on the satellite.[citation needed]
Significant changes to CT USSR were made in the 1980s as the USSR underwent economic and popular political changes brought about by thereforms in Moscow underMikhail Gorbachev.[citation needed] At first, CT USSR stuck to the party line and barely reported the opposition to the communist regime. However, after the rule of theCPSU began to break down in 1990, CT USSR reformed their programmes to remove propaganda and to report news freely.[citation needed]
By the time theGlasnost came into effect, the main news programme on the then Programme 1 (Vremya) was being produced without censorship or interference, and so it covered the events in full. In recognition of its reliable coverage, the programme was re-broadcast on several TV channels around the world (such asAustralia'sSBS and theUnited Kingdom'sSky News).[citation needed] CT USSR, at the same time, started a number of new programme strands and formats, including talk shows.[citation needed] On 4 March 1988, emphasizing the Glasnost campaign, Programme 3 and Programme 4, plus Leningrad Television began to be carried across the Soviet territory via satellite.[citation needed]
Private TV channels such asATV and2×2 were also introduced ending the state monopoly on television broadcasting. By 1990, CTV-USSR debuted its first joint international partnership program with theAmerican Broadcasting Company, entitledCapital to Capital.
Upon the totaldissolution of the country on 26 December 1991, Soviet Central Television (by now part of theAll-Union State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company due to a 8 February 1991 reform) ceased to be the state broadcaster of the former USSR.[citation needed] On 27 December 1991, Ostankino Television 1 and Ostankino Television 4 (presentlyChannel One andNTV) took over the frequencies of Programme 1 and Programme 4. Leningrad Television 5 soon became St. Petersburg State Television Network, broadcasting to all ofRussia until 1997.[citation needed]
Employees of CT USSR were worried about job prospects in the new broadcaster and also had a loyalty to Soviet Central Television. Viewers accustomed to the Russian programming, were concerned at the loss of favourite shows. (Some of the Soviet Central Television shows are now consigned toChannel One Russia andRussia 1) Additionally the three big Russian channels – Channel One, Russia 1 and Petersburg – Channel 5 – have a good amount of presence in the former Soviet territory, and most of the republican stations are now fully independent.[citation needed]
Soviet Central Television had three and later six nationaltelevision channels over its history. The six channels were joined by a number of regional television stations operated by the republican governments of each of the 14 other republics, city television stations operated by the city governments in several key cities and television stations of the governments of the autonomous republics of the Union. Today, these stations, now independent, maintain separate national identities and programming.[citation needed]
In 1982, there were three idents which were broadcast each day on CT USSR.
As of 1990, Soviet Central Television (Programme One,Programme Two andMoscow Programme) sign on at about 6:30 and 12:00 with thetest card along with music,clock ident, then thenational anthem accompanied by a panoramic view ofMoscow, the capital of theSoviet Union and station ident.[citation needed]
As of 1990, Soviet Central Television (Programme One,Programme Two andMoscow Programme) signed off at about 02:00 with the station ident,Clock ident, caption "Do not forget to turn off the TV". Also, there was a sign off in the noon, beginning around in 1 pm and by 2:30 to 4 pm there was the second daily sign on with various news and entertainment programs shown until late night.[citation needed]
TheUEIT test card was used.[citation needed]
When colour television was introduced in 1967, theSÉCAM system was chosen. Following the collapse of the USSR, some of its former republics switched to the PAL colour system.[citation needed]
Broadcasting in the USSR was heavily subsidized by the state.[citation needed]
Advertising – in the form of "commercial" magazine programmes – appeared on Soviet television from the 1980s. However, thecommand economy had little or no competition between brands, so advertising was limited to informing viewers of the prices and availability of products.[citation needed] Withperestroika, spot advertising was introduced to CT USSR in order to better cover the system's cost.[citation needed]
The satirical TV seriesSecond City Television did a 1980 episode consisting of skits centered around a Russian satellite signal overriding the SCTV satellite and causing Russian TV to be broadcast on SCTV's signal, with Soviet Central Television satirized as 'CCCP1' (Three CP One) and 'CCCP2' (Three CP Two) and containing further satires of Russian programing with shows likeTibor's Tractor (a farmer has a tractor that is the reincarnation ofNikita Khrushchev, spoofingMy Mother The Car),Hey Georgy (a man wanders around Russia helping everybody, spoofingKing of Kensington), and a daytime show,Today is Moscow. The episode is featured onSCTV DVD Volume 2.[citation needed]
Authority control databases: Geographic |
|---|
