Soviet Central Television

Soviet Central Television
TypeBroadcast television (analog)
Country
First air date
9 March 1938 (1938-03-09)
AvailabilityFree-to-air
Founded1 May 1931 (1931-05-01)
TV stationsProgramme One
Programme Two
Moscow Programme
Programme Four
Leningrad Television
Technical Programme
OwnerGovernment of the Soviet Union
Launch date
22 March 1951 (1951-03-22)
Dissolved27 December 1991 (1991-12-27)
Picture format
SECAM (576i 4:3 SDTV)

The Central Television of the USSR (Russian: Центральное телевидение СССР, romanized: Tsentral'noye televideniye SSSR; abbreviated CT USSR, SCTV [Russian: ЦТ СССР, romanized: TsT SSSR]) was the state television broadcaster of the Soviet Union.

Like much of the Soviet media, CT USSR regularly promoted the agendas of the Communist Party. Initially, the service was operated, together with the national radio service, by the Ministry of Culture. Later it was operated by the Gosteleradio committee, under the Communications Ministry and the Information and Press Ministry, and later a Council of Ministers-controlled network of television and radio broadcasting.