All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company

The All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (Russian: Всероссийская государственная телевизионная и радиовещательная компания, Vserossiyskaya gosudarstvennaya televizionnaya i radioveshchatelnaya kompaniya, VGTRK) is a Russian state-owned unitary enterprise which operates several television and radio channels. It was founded in 1990.

Operations

VGTRK currently owns and operates five national television stations, two international networks, five radio stations, and over 80 regional TV and radio networks. It also runs the Russian Information agency RIA Novosti.

The All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK) is Russia's largest media corporation. At present, the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company comprises three national TV channels: "RUSSIA 1", "RUSSIA K", and "RUSSIA 2"; "Bibigon" - the first public state television channel for children and youth; 89 regional TV and radio channels broadcasting in all regions of the Russian Federation; "RUSSIA 24" - Russia's first 24/7 news channel, "RTR-Planet" - a TV channel operating abroad since 2002; a Russian-language version of the "Euronews" TV channel; five radio channels: "Radio RUSSIA", "Mayak" (Lighthouse), "Culture", "FM News" and "Youth", and "RUSSIA", a public Internet channel combining dozens of 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. "Russia 1 TV Channel", a public TV channel, traces its history back to May 1991. Today "RUSSIA 1" TV Channel is a leading national channel that broadcasts over almost the entire country. The channel's audience comprises 98.5 per cent of Russia's population and more than 50 million viewers in the CIS and Baltic countries. The "RTR Planet" channel, an international version of "Russia 1", is watched in the U.S., Europe, Middle East, North Africa and China. The "Russia" TV channel broadcasts are structured into such genres as information programs, TV miniseries and series, political journalism, talk shows, game shows, comedies and game formats, full-length feature films and documentaries, broadcasts of sporting and political events, entertainment. "RUSSIA" TV Channel today is a dynamically developing TV company that occupies foremost positions in the area of documentary and feature film broadcasts, TV entertainment production; a news broadcast leader. In the past few years, "RUSSIA" TV channel has become an active player in the film production market. Apart from acquiring broadcasting rights, "RUSSIA" 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. A distinguishing feature of the series broadcast by the TV channel is its focus on classics. Screen adaptations of classic works by Russian writers have drawn record audiences and established highest new standards in the TV film production. Films represent about 35% of the total broadcasts by "Russia" TV channel. The channel purchases film broadcasting rights in cooperation with 50 major production and distributor companies. "Vesti" (News) news program is the 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. Much attention is being paid to television sports coverage. "Russia" TV channel (VGRTK) has been licensed rights to broadcast World Cup, Winter and Summer Olympic Games, Russian football championship and other major Russian and international sporting events.

Television

• Russia 1 (Россия 1) — entertainment, news (formerly Russia, RTR 1 & RTR)
• Russia 2 (Россия 2) — sport, entertainment (formerly Sport)
• Russia 24 (Россия 24) — news channel (formerly Vesti)
• Russia K (Россия К) — culture channel (formerly Culture, RTR 2)
• Karusel (Карусель) — children's channel (formerly Bibigon)
• RTR Planet (РТР планета) — international channel
• My Planet (Моя планета) - documentary channel
• Sport 1 - first pay-TV sports channel
• Sport 2 - second pay-TV sports channel
• Russian-language edition of Euronews
• At least 90 regional TV channels in Russia

Radio

• Radio Kultura - cultural radio
• Radio Mayak - general entertainment, current affairs, and adult contemporary music
• Radio Rossii - talk radio and regional programming
• Radio Yunost - mostly European and American pop music
• Vesti FM - news radio

News agency

• RIA Novosti

Chairpersons

• Oleg Poptsov (1990—96)
• Eduard Sagalayev (1996—97)
• Nikolay Svanidze (1997—98)
• Mikhail Shvydkoy (1998—2000)
• Oleg Dobrodeev (since 2000)

External links

• VGTRK Official website (Russian)