Channel One is a Russian over-the-air television network and the oldest in continuous operation in Russia, launched in 1948.
History[]
After the Second World War ended in 1944, Russia and Ukraine kept their Soviet-era infrastructure intact, but were facing challenges due to the lack of money available in Europe at the time.
With limited capacities in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, two separate television facilities resumed their programming formally in 1948.
Later the Moscow service expanded to a national scale and became known as Ostankino 1, after the facility it was being broadcast from. Ostankino 2 (started in 1956) was a regional service, Ostankino 3 (1962) a cultural service and Ostankino 4 (1967) an educational service.
Following the transition to a multiparty state in 1990, a new company (RTR) caused Ostankino Radio and Television to relinquish its control over the second network. The third network was partitioned.