Channel One (Pervy kanal in Russian) is the first television channel airing in Russia. It operated under the name Russian Public Television (Общественное Российское Телевидение, ORT) from 1995 to 2002.
Media assets
Television: Pervyy kanal, Telecafe, Dom kino, Music One TV, Vremya, Dom kino Premium, Bober, Perviy Kanal Evraziya
State Media Matrix Typology: Captured Public/State-Managed (CaPu)
Ownership and governance
The Russian state controls 51% of the shares in Channel One through various state entities, the largest being the Federal Agency for State Property Management, which has a stake of nearly 39% in the broadcaster. The remainder to 51% is in the hands of two state entities (FSUE Itar-Tass and FSUE Ostankino).
Source of funding and budget
Channel One has been usually funded through a combination of advertising revenues and state subsidies. However, in recent years, the subsidy from the federal budget for Channel One has been significantly cut, according to Russian experts. In 2019, Channel One had revenues of RUB 27bn and received a state subsidy of RUB 2.5bn. In 2021 and 2022, the channel received the same state budget subsidy, a total of RUB 6.27bn, according to media reports.
The channel in recent years has been faced with mounting losses, which prompted the government to issue new shares to bring in more private investors.
Editorial independence
The editorial coverage and policies at Channel One are tightly controlled by the Kremlin. The channel has been used by the state apparatus to promote the government and project a narrative favorable to the Russian authorities. In academic studies and independent media reports, the channel is described as a propaganda tool in the hands of the Kremlin. Evidence of censorship continued to appear during the recent war in Ukraine.
No internal statute and no independent assessment and oversight mechanism to validate Channel One’s editorial independence have been identified.
October 2023