Channel One (Russia) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Channel One
Первый канал

Country	Russia
Broadcast area	Worldwide
Headquarters	Ostankino Technical Center, Moscow, Russia
Programming
Language(s)	Russian
Picture format	1080i HDTV (downscaled to 576i for the SDTV feed) 4K (during World Cup 2018)
Ownership
Owner	(in 2020) Federal Agency for State Property Management (38.9%) National Media Group (29%) VTB Capital (20%) TASS (9.1%) Ostankino Technical Center (3.0%)
Key people	Konstantin Lvovich Ernst, CEO
Sister channels	Karusel Telecafe Dom Kino Music One TV Vremya Dom Kino Premium Bober Perviy Kanal Evraziya
History
Launched	9 March 1938; 87 years ago (1938-03-09)
Replaced	1st channel Ostankino
Former names	1995–2002: Public Russian Television (ORT)
Availability
Terrestrial
Digital terrestrial television	Channel 1

Channel One (Russian: Первый канал, tr. Pervý kanal, lit. 'First Channel') is a major television channel in Russia. Its main offices are in Moscow, at the Ostankino Technical Center, close to the famous Ostankino Tower. The Russian government owns or controls most of the channel's shares.

This channel was created by a special order from Russian president Boris Yeltsin. It took the place of the Ostankino Television Channel One, which had replaced another channel in 1991. From April 1995 to September 2002, the channel was known as Public Russian Television (ORT). Some of its most important news shows are Vremya and Novosti.

Channel One competes with other big Russian TV channels like Russia-1 and NTV. In 2015, about 2,443 people worked for Channel One.

How Channel One Started

When the Soviet Union ended, the new country of Russia took over many of its old organizations. One of the first things President Boris Yeltsin did was sign a special order on December 27, 1991. This order put the central television system under Russia's control.

A company called Russian State Television and Radio Company Ostankino was formed. The state kept 51% of its shares. Later, in November 1994, Ostankino became a new company called Russian Public Television (ORT). The state still owned 51% of the shares, and private companies owned the rest. This change happened because the old company was having money problems.

From April 1, 1995, until late 2002, the channel was known as ORT. It continued to show many popular programs from the Soviet era. These included Vremya (news), KVN (a comedy show), Chto? Gde? Kogda? (a game show), V mire zhivotnykh (about animals), and Travelers' Club (about travel). Some of these older shows are no longer on Channel One.

In 2008, Channel One was chosen to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. This is a big international music competition.

How Channel One Broadcasts

The main place where Channel One sends out its broadcasts is the Ostankino Tower in Moscow. In September 2008, the channel added new digital sound systems to its modern broadcasting center. This center is also located in the Ostankino Television Technical Centre in Moscow.

Channel One's new news studio opened in March 2008. It uses advanced technology from top TV equipment makers. On December 24, 2012, Channel One started broadcasting in 1080i high-definition (HD). This means the picture quality is much clearer.

You can also watch Channel One online for free. Viewers in Russia can go to 1tv.ru, and people outside Russia can use 1tv.com.

Shows and Movies on Channel One

Channel One has helped make many films. Some of these have been very popular in Russia, like Night Watch (2004), The Turkish Gambit (2005), Day Watch (2006), and The Irony of Fate 2 (2007).

The channel also airs Russian versions of famous international shows. These include Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Survivor, and Star Factory.

Original Shows Made by Channel One

International Shows on Channel One

Past Animated Shows on Channel One

Anime Shows

Walt Disney Shows

• DuckTales
• Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers
• Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears
• TaleSpin

Channel Management and Ownership

Vladimir Putin and Konstantin Ernst, the head of Channel One.

Channel One is largely controlled by the Russian state. A study in 2024 showed that the channel has always presented President Vladimir Putin in a good way.

In 1999, the channel was very active in the election campaign. It criticized some political opponents of the party that supported Vladimir Putin. A TV host named Sergey Dorenko had a popular show that often attacked Putin's opponents. However, his show was later stopped after he criticized how the government handled a submarine accident.

The general director of Channel One is Konstantin Ernst. He has been in this role for a long time. As of 2021, VTB Bank owned a significant part of the channel's shares. Also, Yuriy Kovalchuk, a close friend of Vladimir Putin, owns parts of Channel One through his company, National Media Group.

Vladimir Pozner interviews Hillary Clinton on the "Pozner Show" in Moscow, March 19, 2010.

Sister Channels

Channel One also owns several other digital TV channels. These channels are part of the Channel One Digital TV-family:

Active Channels

• Dom Kino (Cinema House) – shows movies
• Dom Kino Premium (Cinema House Premium) – shows movies
• Muzyka Pervogo (Channel One Music) – plays music
• Vremya (Time) – focuses on 20th-century history
• Telecafe (Television Café) – about food
• Bobyor (Beaver) – about lifestyle
• O! – for families
• Poyekhali (Let's Go) – about travel
• Karusel (Carousel) – a channel for children, made with another company

Channels That Are No Longer Active

• Telenyanya (TeleNanny) – used to be a channel for children

Channel One's Look and Logos

Since it started in 1991, Channel One's logo has always featured the number "1" in different styles.

History of Logos

The very first logo in 1991 was a blocky "1" with a thin black square around it. On April 1, 1995, this changed to a simple "1" block inside a circle. Then, on October 1, 1995, a new logo appeared with an italic "1" and the letters "ОРТ". There was also a blue and white version of this 1995 logo.

On January 1, 1997, a golden italic "1" logo was introduced. It had a partial ring and the letters "ОРТ" in three separate blocks. This logo was designed by Novocom and Igor Barbe. The current logo was launched on October 1, 2000. It shows a "1" with a small cut, set against a dark blue background. This design was created by ORT Design. When the channel changed its name from "ОРТ" to "Channel One Russia" on September 2, 2002, the on-screen animations changed to match the new name, but the 2000 logo is still used today.

• 

  December 27, 1991 - March 31, 1995

• 

  April 1 - September 30, 1995

• 

  October 1, 1995 - December 31, 1996

• 

  Alternate version of the 1995 logo

• 

  January 1, 1997 - September 30, 2000

• 

  September 30/October 1, 2000 – present

See also

In Spanish: Piervy Kanal para niños

• Channel One Cup (football)
• Channel One Cup (ice hockey)