Soviet Central Television

Soviet Central Television
Type Broadcast television
Country Soviet Union
First air date
 9 March 1938 (based in Moscow)
Availability Free-to-air
Founded 9 March 1938
Licence area
 Moscow, Soviet Union
Broadcast area
 Soviet Union
Owner Government of the Soviet Union
Key people
 Soviet Union
Launch date
 9 March 1938
Dissolved 27 December 1991
Replaced by Programme One: Ostankino TV Channel 1, Public Russian Television, and now Channel One Russia
Programme Two: All Union First Programme
All Union First Programme: Main state TV channels of the Soviet Union republics
Moscow Programme: MTK-Moscow Television Channel, now TV Center
Programme Four: Ostankino TV Channel 4, Russian Universities, now NTV (NTV already existed as Russian Universities evening news and entertainment block until it took over Russian Universities entire airtime in 1994)
Leningrad Television: Petersburg State Television Company till 1997, Saint Petersburg Television and Radio until 2004, presently Petersburg - Channel 5

The Central Television of the USSR (CT USSR) (Russian: Центральное телевидение СССР, ЦТ СССР, tr. Tsentral'noye televideniye SSSR, TsT SSSR), was the state television broadcaster in the Soviet Union.

Soviet TV programming was highly diverse and somewhat similar to that of the BBC or American PBS. Like much of the Soviet media, CT USSR regularly promoted the agendas of the Communist Party. Initially, the service was operated, together with the national radio service, by the Ministry of Culture. Later it was operated by the Committee on Television and Radio (USSR Gosteleradio, Russian: Государственный комитет по телевидению и радиовещанию СССР, Гостелерадио СССР), under the Communications Ministry and the Information and Press Ministry, and later a Council of Ministers-controlled network of television and radio broadcasting.

First decades

Early Soviet test card (TIT-0249BIS, ТИТ-0249бис).

Radio was the dominant medium in the former Soviet Union, however, in the 1930s preparations for television were in full swing.

On 1 October 1934, the first television sets were made available to the public. The next year, the first television broadcasts began.

The Soviet Union television service began full-time experimental test broadcasts on 1 March 1938.

Regular public programming began on 9 March 1938 - with an evening of programmes, which included news, documentary films and entertainment on Channel 1 in Moscow. At the same time, Channel 5 Leningrad the national television service from Leningrad and the northern Soviet Union, was launched on 7 July the same year.

Programmes were stopped in 1941 at the start of Operation Barbarossa, for fear that the Shabolovka transmitter would be used as an enemy beacon. The same thing happened in Leningrad due to the almost 4 years siege there in the city.

The USSR television service began experimental test broadcasts on 7 May 1945 (two days before the German surrender), in preparation for its full reopening.

Regular public programming resumed on 7 March 1948.

The USSR television service temporarily stopped broadcasts in December 1948 for major upgrade of the broadcast equipment, but by 1 May the next year, Leningrad and the northern/northwestern USSR resumed television broadcasts for the Palace Square May Day Parade.

Regular programming resumed on 16 June 1949, but was now broadcasting in 625 lines - a first in the world.

On 22 March 1951, the Moscow TV station 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 into Leningrad Television, and continued its national broadcasts.

On 26 August 1952, the Leningrad Television Centre was inaugurated, the USSR's first state-of-the-art television studios.

On New Year's Day 1955 the Central Television Station began transmitting daily programming.

On 14 February 1956, the new Moscow Programme commenced broadcasting for viewers in Moscow and in the surrounding Moscow Oblast.

The USSR television service (both Programme 1 and Moscow Programme 2) began experimental colour broadcast tests on 14 January 1960.

The next year, Leningrad Television moved its studios and officers to larger premises.

The USSR authorities began construction of a television center in Ostankino in 1963 for the television networks. It was opened in 1967 as part of the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. Leningrad would soon follow suit the next year as the newly renovated and expanded Leningrad Television Broadcasting Center reopened its doors.

On 1 September 1964, CT USSR Programme One launched Spokoynoy nochi, malyshi! (Good Night, Kids!) as an answer to the East German Sandmännchen. The idea was an animated film and then sending them to bed before the programmes for adults began at 21:00 (with the main evening news Vremya). With several generations of children growing up with the show, it has remained a popular childhood memory. Russia 1 still continues this practice today.

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 and Leningrad), and its programming was co-produced with the USSR Ministry of Education, oriented towards the nation's student population at all levels from pre-school till college.

Expansion

In 1965, CT USSR established a satellite network to expand the television service nationwide.

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, while Moscow Programme switched to channel 3. Sports programs moved to Programme 6 when that channel was launched on 25 December 1971.

Television Programmes

Notable annual traditions of Soviet Central Television included the telecasts of the Red Square demonstrations on May Day, Victory Day and the October Revolution anniversary parades, and the broadcast of the film The Irony of Fate (Or Enjoy Your Bath!) on New Year's Eve night, right before the CPSU General Secretary's New Year message, followed by the Kremlin chimes and the playing of Soviet national anthem, and ending with Little 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's Pesnya goda All-Union National Soviet Music Festival aired on New Year's Day, also soon becoming a holiday practice for viewers across the nation.

Colour

Soviet test card used in TV broadcasts in the USSR after the introduction of colour (Ueit, УЭИТ).

Colour television was introduced on 1 October 1967, making the Soviet Union the fourth country in Europe to switch to colour broadcast, after the United Kingdom's BBC2, West Germany and France (see Timeline of the introduction of color television in countries), again ready for the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution on 7 November 1967. Moscow Programme and Leningrad Television were the first colour broadcasters, even through the 7 November 1967 parade was broadcast in monochrome in the main national channels and Programme 4. CT USSR chose the French SÉCAM colour standard, which would later be adopted across the Eastern Bloc (Romania and Yugoslavia, however, settled for the PAL standard).

By 1976, full colour broadcasts began throughout the entire Soviet 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.

Olympic Games

The hosting of the 1980 Summer Olympics by Moscow was a source of pride for the Eastern Bloc. However, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 had caused outrage in the west, leading to a boycott 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.

Gorizont

In 1988, the USSR-built Gorizont satellite was launched, providing television programming to much of Europe and northern Africa, and even eastern parts of the Americas. The programmes of all the Eastern European socialist republics, including the CT USSR channels, were broadcast on the satellite.

The reforms

Significant changes to CT USSR were made in the 1980s as the USSR underwent economic and popular political changes brought about by the reforms in Moscow under Mikhail Gorbachev.

At first, CT USSR stuck to the party line and barely reported the opposition to the communist regime. However, after the rule of the CPSU began to break down in 1990, CT USSR reformed their programmes to remove propaganda and to report news freely.

By the time the Glasnost 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 as Australia's SBS and the United Kingdom's Sky News).

CT USSR, at the same time, started a number of new programme strands and formats, including talk shows.

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.

Private TV channels such as ATV and 2×2 were also introduced ending the state monopoly on television broadcasting. By 1990, CTV-USSR debuted its first joint international partnership program with the American Broadcasting Company, entitled Capital to Capital.

Dissolution of the USSR

Upon the total dissolution of the country on 25 December 1991, Central Television USSR (by now part of the All-Union National Radio and Television Broadcasting Corporation due to a 1990 reform) ceased to be the state broadcaster of the former USSR.

On 27 December 1991, Ostankino Television 1 and Ostankino Television 4 (Presently Channel One (Russia) and NTV (Russia)) took over the frequencies of Programme 1 and Programme 4. Leningrad Television 5 soon became St. Petersburg State Television Network, broadcasting to all of Russia until 1997.

Employees of CT USSR were worried about job prospects in the new broadcaster and also had a loyalty to Central Television USSR. Viewers accustomed to the Russian programming, were concerned at the loss of favourite shows. (Some of the Central Television USSR shows are now consigned to Channel One Russia and Russia 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.

Former television stations

Soviet Central Television had three and later six television channels over its history.

Central Television USSR signed off for the final time on 27 December 1991 and became Ostankino Television Channel 1 and Ostankino Television Channel 4, of Ostankino State Television. Its two remaining channels carried former their predecessors' programming. The direct successor of Soviet Central Television in Russia, it became defunct on 30 November 1994, becoming the Channel One Russia of today (It was then called until 2002 as ORT 1-Public Russian Television Channel 1.)

Appearances

Identity

There are 3 idents which were broadcast in a day during CT USSR.

Logo history

There was only one CT USSR logo, which had five rings from a red star-designed antenna in it.

Opening and closing times

Sign On

Day

Soviet Central Television (Programme One, Programme Two and Moscow Programme) sign on at 08:00 morning with the test card along with music, clock ident, then the national anthem accompanied by a panoramic view of Moscow, the capital of the Soviet Union and station ident.

Evening

Soviet Central Television (Programme One, Programme Two and Moscow Programme) sign on at 16:00 evening with the test card along with music, clock ident, then the national anthem accompanied by a panoramic view of Moscow and station ident.

Sign Off

Day

Soviet Central Television (Programme One, Programme Two and Moscow Programme) sign off at 13:00 day with the station ident, Clock ident, caption Do not forget to turn off the TV accompanied by intermittent beeping and test card.

Evening

Soviet Central Television (Programme One, Programme Two and Moscow Programme) sign off at 23:00 evening with the station ident, Clock ident, caption Do not forget to turn off the TV accompanied by intermittent beeping and test card.

News

Clocks

There was only one clock broadcast.

Test card

The UEIT test card was used.

Colour TV standard

When colour television was introduced in 1967, the SÉCAM system was chosen. Following the collapse of the USSR, some of its former republics switched to the PAL colour system.

Finance

Broadcasting in the USSR was heavily subsidized by the state.

Advertising

Advertising - in the form of "commercial" magazine programmes - appeared on Soviet television from the 1980s. However, the command economy had little or no competition between brands, so advertising was limited to informing viewers of the prices and availability of products.

With perestroika, spot advertising was introduced to CT USSR in order to better cover the system's cost.

The satirical TV series SCTV did a 1980 episode consisting of skits centered around a Russian satellite colliding with the SCTV satellite and causing Russian TV to be broadcast on SCTV's signal, with Soviet Central Television satirized as '3CCCP1' (Three CP One) and '3CCCP2' ('Three CP Two') and containing further satires of Russian programing with shows like Tibor's Tractor (a farmer has a tractor that is the reincarnation of Khrushchev, spoofing My Mother The Car) Hey Georgy (a man wanders around Russia helping everybody), and a daytime show, Today is Moscow. The episode is featured on SCTV DVD Volume 2.

See also

References

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