Television in Moscow

The period of the monopoly of the State Television and Radio Committee of the USSR (1931—1989)

The first television channel in Moscow (called the Central Television Studio since 1951) was launched by the All-Union Broadcasting Committee in 1931 on medium waves, and in March 1939 it began broadcasting on ultrashort waves. In 1956, television in Moscow became a two-program: The General Directorate of Radio Information launched the second TV channel in the city - “The Central USSR Television Studio. The Moscow program, and the Central Television Studio of the USSR began to be called the Central Television Studio of the USSR. I program. In 1957, the Main Directorate of Radio Information was reorganized into the USSR State Committee on Television and Radio Broadcasting, the Central Television Studio of the USSR became known as the Central Television of the USSR, and the Central Television Studio of the USSR. I program ”-“ I program of the Central Television of the USSR ”,“ Central Television Studio of the USSR. Moscow Program ”-“ Moscow Program of the Central Television of the USSR ”. In 1965, television in Moscow became a three-program program - the USSR State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company launched the third television channel in the city - the “Educational Program of the Central Television of the USSR”, in 1967 it became a four-program television channel — the fourth program of Central Television. In 1971, television in Moscow became a five-program program; the “Technical Program of the Central Television” appeared. In 1984, television in Moscow became a six-program, the relay of the Leningrad Program began. In 1982, the “4th program” was transferred to the 2nd television channel and became known as the “2nd program”, the “Moscow program” - to the 3rd television channel, and the “Educational program” - to the 4th television channel.

The end of the monopoly of the USSR State Television and Radio Committee (1989-1996)

On December 2, 1989, the morning hours of the 3-meter channel were transferred to the commercial 2X2 television company. In 1990, in the south-east of Moscow, the Okrug-5 regional television company was created (which began work in 1993-1994). In 1990, the All-Russian State Television and Radio Company (VGTRK) was created, on May 17, 1991 it was transferred to evening the hours on the second channel, and in September of the same year, the entire channel, at the same time the Educational program began to broadcast also in the morning and afternoon hours. In February 1991, the USSR State Radio and Television was renamed the All-Union State Television and Radio Company, and on December 27, 1991, the Russian State Television and Radio Company Ostankino. In 1992, the Moscow city edition of the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company was separated from it and renamed the “Russian Moscow Television and Radio Company“ Moscow “”, two years later divided into “Moscow Television Company” and “Radio Company“ Moscow “”. On January 1, 1993, private television companies MNVK (TV6 Moscow) (evening hours) and Severnaya Korona (morning and afternoon hours) began broadcasting on the 6-meter channel. In 1994, a number of private broadcasters began broadcasting on decimeter waves - M-49 (future Ren-TV, evening hours on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays), AMTV (future STS), Channel 24 ( broadcast CNN International round-the-clock without translation, now closed), Channel 31 (hereinafter referred to as “M1” and “Home”), Teleexpo (morning and night hours on Channel 33, broadcast “Petersburg 5” in the daytime channel ”), the evening hours of the 4-meter TV channel were transferred to the private television company“ NTV ”, morning and daytime -“ VGTRK ”(the TV channel“ Russian Universities ”). In 1995, he also began broadcasting the 51st U-channel K-10 (Cosmos-10), the future Muz-TV (evening hours). Since April 1995, 1 television channel was broadcast to Public Russian Television (ORT), and in October 1995, the Russian State Television and Radio Company Ostankino was abolished.

Further Development (1996—2010)

On November 11, 1996, the morning and afternoon hours of 4 television channels were transferred to NTV. On January 1, 1997, the 49th decimeter channel was transferred to REN TV. On June 8, 1997, MTK was abolished, and its frequency was transferred to the state-owned joint-stock company TV Center. On November 1, 1997, the broadcasting of the Petersburg 5 Channel channel in Moscow (on the 33rd decimeter channel) was discontinued, its frequency was transmitted to VGTRK (the newly formed Culture channel).

The modern period (since 2010)

In September 2010, the launch of digital terrestrial platforms took place in Moscow. Currently, television in Moscow is divided into state-owned, commercial, and television of state-owned corporations, some of which are broadcast in digital format, others in analog or both. State broadcasters - Channel One, includes the television channel of the same name, the All-Russian State TV and Radio Company, includes the TV channel Russia 1 and Russia K, the TV channel 360 ° Moscow Region shared with the Government of Moscow, digital TV channels Russia 24 "and" Carousel "," TV Center TV Company ", includes the eponymous TV channel, MTRK" Mir "including the eponymous digital TV channel," Public Television of Russia ", includes the eponymous digital TV channel, there are also departmental television broadcaster of the Zvezda shopping and entertainment complex, which includes the television channel of the same name, and a commercial broadcaster with state participation of the Petersburg - 5 channel television and radio broadcasting company, which includes the television channel of the same name. Television broadcasters of state corporations are NTV Television Company, Match TV and TNT Television Network. Commercial TV broadcasters are the on-air TV channels Che, STS, Disney, Domashny, Friday, TV 3, REN TV, Yu, and the digital TV channel Muz TV.

On the air of Moscow broadcast 7 analog TV channels and 4 digital multiplexes ( see table ). Until April 15, 2019, 12 analogue television channels included in all-Russian multiplexes were also broadcast, one channel continued analogue broadcasting at a backup site. Most transmitters were turned off on April 22, 2019, except for the 1st and 3rd TCEs, turned off later, on May 13. Most of the frequency channel transmitters are located on the Ostankino television tower of the Moscow regional branch of RTRS . Until 2002, the Shukhov Tower was also used . Later, for backup broadcasting of some analogue channels and testing digital mobile television, the Oktod Radio and Television Tower . The separated low-powered transmitters of regional channels are no longer used.

Digital Multiplexes

In 2010, in open form, on the 30th TCE in Moscow, the DVB-T test multiplex of eight channels began broadcasting as part of a pilot project for the transition to digital broadcasting. Later, in 2012, the frequency was transmitted to the newly formed “ RTRS-1 ” channel package in the DVB-T2 standard of ten channels. Due to requests from subscribers, the same package was simultaneously launched at the 34th TCE frequency in the DVB-T standard, but was turned off in 2013 so that its transmitter could be used for the new package - “ RTRS-2 ” at 24- m TCEs, also in the new DVB-T2 standard of ten channels.

The story of the 32nd TCE stands apart, its multiplex was broadcasted to the DVB-T standard ^[4] , reception was paid, the conditional access system Irdeto was used . The operator of TsTV LLC ^{[5] [6]} positioned it for automotive digital television broadcasting. Broadcasting started in 2003, but it was not commercially successful and was canceled, then it was resumed in 2011 using the license obtained in 2009 ^[7] , but also remained unprofitable ^{[8] [9]} . The multiplex consisted of 10 mandatory channels (as in the RTRS-1) and 2–5 additional thematic channels ^[10] . Since 2015, due to the need to broadcast 20 compulsory publicly accessible television channels, as well as general unprofitability, the question arose of closing the multiplex, which occurred in 2018, shortly before which the encryption was removed from it. DTV LLC used its operator license and reoriented to satellite broadcasting under the MTS brand.

Broadcasting in the DVB-H mobile digital standard proper was carried out in the mid-2000s at frequencies of the 26th and 36th TCEs. Operators were one of the then leaders of the mobile industry - Beeline (under the Dominant brand) and Scartel (under the Centaur brand). However, the identified interference from this broadcasting for existing types of communications, as well as the general unavailability of the market, forced them to curtail mobile multiplexes and focus on the development of a new generation of non-television mobile standards 3G and WiMax .

In July 2014, the Federal Law “On Advertising” was amended ^[11] , which prohibited advertising on paid TV channels from January 1, 2015 ^[12] . On December 31, 2014, several large telemarket players received licenses and the ability to broadcast their paid TV channels on the air of the city of Moscow, which transferred these TV channels to the category of broadcast and removed them from the definition of paid , given by this law. Some of these TV channels have restrictions up to one hour of broadcasting per day, but they also do not fall under the restrictions of the Law on Advertising. On January 15, 2015, an additional multiplex in the DVB-T2 standard ^[13] was launched at the 34th broadcast TCE, broadcasting at 10 positions in which 40 television channels have licenses of Roskomnadzor ^{[14] [15]} .

Since August 2016, an experimental multiplex with one channel in UltraHD format (resolution 3840x2160, HEVC codec, 30 MB bitrate) began broadcasting at the 58th TVK ^[16] . In October 2017, at the time of the NATEXPO-2017 exhibition, it was replaced with 10 channels in Full-HD resolution (1920x1080 resolution, HEVC codec) ^[17] . June 14, 2018, on the day of the opening of the World Cup from the tower in Ostankino at the frequency of the 58th TVK in Ultra HD at 50 fps with Dolby Atmos sound, the First Channel began broadcasting ^{[18] [19]} . Ultra HD broadcasting was terminated on June 3, 2019, and test broadcasting of the first multiplex in multithreaded PLP mode has begun. The future of this TCE in Moscow is in question, since the frequency of the 58th TCE has been issued for broadcasting the second multiplex in the neighboring Serpukhov district (as well as in the cities of regional subordination Chekhov and Stupino) of the Moscow region.

Citywide cable television in Moscow is provided by the companies of PJSC Rostelecom ^[20] and OJSC KOMKOR (trademark AKADO Telecom) ^[21] .

• Digital television in Russia

• Television // Encyclopedia "Moscow" / Ed. S. O. Schmidt . - M .: Great Russian Encyclopedia , 1997. - 976 p.