Channel One Russia

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**Channel One** (Template:Lang-rus) is a Russian state-controlled television channel.Cite error: The opening `<ref>` tag is malformed or has a bad name[*vague*] It is the first television channel to broadcast in the Russian Federation. Its headquarters are located at Ostankino Technical Center near the Ostankino Tower in Moscow.

From April 1995 to September 2002, the channel was known as **Public Russian Television** (Template:Lang-rus, **ORT** Template:IPA-ru).Cite error: The opening `<ref>` tag is malformed or has a bad name

Channel One's main competitors are the Russia-1 and NTV channels. The channel has 2,443 employees as of 2015.

## History

For the history of this channel before 1991, see Television in the Soviet Union and Soviet Central Television.

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 TV and Radio Company' (Gosteleradio) was transformed into the 'Russian State TV and Radio Company Ostankino'.

Russian oligarch Boris Abramovich Berezovsky gained control over ORT Television to replace the failing Soviet TV Channel 1. He appointed the popular anchorman and producer Vladislav Listyev as CEO of ORT. Three months later Listyev was assassinated amid a fierce struggle for control of advertising sales.Cite error: The opening `<ref>` tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening `<ref>` tag is malformed or has a bad name Berezovsky was questioned in the police investigation, among many others, but the killers were never found.[*citation needed*]

A presidential decree of 30 November 1994 transformed Ostankino into a closed joint-stock company, **Russian Public TV** (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).

Following the 1998 financial collapse (which almost resulted in them becoming insolvent), the channel obtained a government loan of $100 million from state-controlled bank Vneshekonombank.Cite error: The opening `<ref>` tag is malformed or has a bad name 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 the traditional programs and shows of the First Channel of the Soviet Television (RTO), such as *Vremya*, *KVN*, *Chto? Gde? Kogda?*, *V mire zhivotnykh* and *Travelers' Club*; the last two are no longer broadcast on this channel.

## 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 the world's leading television equipment manufacturers such as Thomson, EVS, and HP. Spearheading the transition of the renovated news facilities was Okno TV.Cite error: The opening `<ref>` tag is malformed or has a bad name Channel One began broadcasting a 1080i high-definition signal on 24 December 2012.Cite error: The opening `<ref>` tag is malformed or has a bad name

Channel One can be streamed on the internet for free on 1tv.ru for viewers in Russia and 1tv.com is for international viewers.