60 Years on Air: Director of TV and Radio Company "Vitebsk" Elena Pantyukhova on the Past and Present of Regional Television
The author of the debut program was young editor David Simanovich, the director was Vladimir Latovsky, and the sound engineer was Petr Romanovsky. The entries in the workbooks of the first Vitebsk television workers were dated April 1, and for a while, this was a cause for jokes. Although everyone understood that having their own television in the regional center was a serious matter. Already on May 1, film operators went out into the city streets to shoot video footage of the festive demonstration. And the next day, this report was shown on air.
The television studio, which was taking its first steps (perhaps due to its age), was located in a building that was originally built as a kindergarten. By the way, it has not changed its location since then. Only over time it grew by a second floor and another room with a small hall and a studio. Among those who began the history of Vitebsk Television were directors Nikolai Spotkay, Vladimir Latovsky, sound engineer Petr Romanovsky, operators Leonid Osmolovsky, Artur Michelson, journalists Anna Lozovskaya, David Simanovich, Lev Shulman, Ilya Kogan, Galina Guzhva, Lina Birila. With this team, programs were created not only for the region but also for the republic, and reports and documentaries were prepared for Central Television. The first of these was "The Youth of Ancient Vitebsk," shot on wide film and shown on the all-Union television on January 2, 1965. The studio archive contains interviews with Mikhail Svetlov, Yuri Levitan, Zinoviy Gerdt, Vasil Bykov, Mark Fradkin, Zair Azgur, Evdokia Los, and other famous people. Today, the television film library contains tens of thousands of moments from the life of the region, recorded on film, of various significance. They can be used to study the history of the Vitebsk region.
Elena Pantyukhova, Director of the Vitebsk Television and Radio Company and a member of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, talks about the beginnings and the current state of regional television.
– Six decades is not a very long time in history, but during this period, real technical revolutions have occurred in television…
– That's right. An important stage in the development of Vitebsk TV was 1976, when equipment for video recording and editing was purchased, and the first mobile television station appeared. Regional TV was black and white at that time. Four years later, in preparation for covering the Olympics, Moscow provided us with high-class equipment, and the regional television could already be watched in color. Since the early 90s, entire generations of video recording equipment have been replaced every 3-4 years. The new century brought significant changes – analog broadcasting was replaced by digital. Opportunities for creativity, for realizing the boldest ideas, even such as launching our own TV channel, have expanded.
At the end of 2018, we switched to the High Definition (HD) format. HD channels allow for images with rich, saturated colors and fine details. Consequently, viewing becomes more vivid and attractive.
– It's interesting, are there any rarities preserved, besides recordings, from the early years of the studio's operation?
– When we were preparing for the 55th anniversary, we found microphones that were used in the early years of operation. We asked veterans to bring photographs. We digitized old pictures and made banners that now adorn the studio walls.
– Today, programs and stories from the Vitebsk studio can be seen on more than one channel?
– The television and radio company has two television channels: "Belarus 4 Vitebsk" and the "Vitebsk" TV channel, which broadcast 20 hours a day. DVB-T transmitters are installed in Vitebsk and Orsha, broadcasting our signal within a radius of up to 25 kilometers. We are present in the networks of all cable operators in the region. Our TV channels are available to Zala subscribers. Online streaming is also available on the official website vtv.by. Thanks to the internet, Vitebsk television can be watched in different parts of the world. We analyzed: our YouTube channel is watched in 200 countries, it has 16 thousand subscribers, and the total number of views is approaching 6 million.
The staff has increased 10-fold over 60 years; today, more than 100 people work for the company, half of whom are creative professionals.
– What programs define the creative identity of the Vitebsk television and radio company?
– First of all, news. "Vitebsk Herald" is broadcast several times a day, with stories being updated and prepared, as they say, on the fly. On Sundays, the information and analytical program "7 Days" is aired. The weekly program "Under the Control of the Authorities. Objectively" raises important issues often initiated by viewers themselves. You can vote and express your opinion on the website. Another interactive program is "Direct Line," during which any resident of the region can ask their deputy a question. In general, each project has its own television audience. Sports fans watch "Sportinform." For those who care about their health, together with doctors, we produce the program "Live and Be Healthy"; for villagers and about villagers – "Viascoutsy"; for gardeners and allotment holders – "Dacha Success"; for art connoisseurs – "Art Time," which covers cultural events in the region. A chronicle of incidents and materials about the work of law enforcement agencies are featured in the program "Law and Order."
And, of course, every evening, "Evening Vitebsk" is broadcast live.
– Have there been any new projects in the anniversary year?
– Yes, and there are several of them. The cycle of programs "While We Are Alive, We Will Remember" dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Great Victory is about the memorials of the Vitebsk region. The new project "My Olympics" is about Olympic champions native to the Vitebsk region. In March, the culinary and folklore program "Eat Until You Sing!" was aired for the first time. Hosts Sergey Markov and famous musician, folklorist, head of the group "Troitza" Ivan Kirchuk talk about Belarusian cuisine and the traditions of preparing authentic dishes.
– Elena, you were once a TV correspondent, you prepared stories, I remember you did reports from France. Don't you feel like going back to your old ways?
– I really want to, but I restrain myself. I try to slap my hands when the desire arises to correct something in my own way. The understanding that a particular story is the creative work of a specific journalist, his author's view and position, stops me. Everyone should do their own job.
– For 60 years, you are the first woman to head the Vitebsk television studio. Isn't it difficult to take on such responsibility with your fragile shoulders?
– It's difficult, but I work in a team where everyone is a professional in their field. In addition, there are experienced mentors from whom I continue to learn. Chief accountant Valentina Mikhalchenko, leading television engineer Leonid Shelepov, operator Gennady Shcheglov, release editor Liliya Veselova, directors Svetlana Pogorelskaya and Irina Vasilenko have been working at the studio for over 40 years.
– You have been elected to the upper house of parliament for a second term. As a senator, do you lobby for the interests of the media, and television in particular?
– Of course. Especially when amendments and additions were made to the law on mass media, to the law on copyright and related rights. Currently, the House of Representatives is preparing for the second reading of the draft law on amendments to the law on advertising. Those who work in a specific industry better see its problems and ways to solve them.
– You receive citizens and respond to their inquiries. What do people come to a member of the Council of the Republic with?
– It is interesting that questions concerning the work of television or radio are extremely rare. Most people complain about housing and communal services, the condition of roads. They apply regarding employment, untimely payment of wages, and violations of an employer's labor rights. I had to return an illegally evicted pensioner to a dormitory, and we dealt with the city transport schedule. After each meeting, I send more than one request. It is pleasant when you manage to help.
– Does it happen that an appeal to you as a senator becomes a reason for a TV report?
– Yes. We often send such reports to the program "Belarusian Vremya" ("Белорусское времечко"), which is broadcast on the "Belarus 1" channel.
– What wishes do you expect for the anniversary?
– That our veterans are alive and healthy, that current employees develop in their profession, that the youth who come to replace them are as passionate about their work as those who started it 60 years ago.