Radiotelevizor Libertas
 | |
| State-owned television network | |
| Industry | Media |
| Fate | Dissolved |
| Successor | Zoraviya Telekomunikatsiyi |
| Founded | June 17, 1949 Samistopol, Samistopol FSR, Soravian Federated Republic |
| Defunct | January 1, 1983 |
Areas served | Kantemosha Radushia Soravia Vedmed Vynichia |
| Owner | Government of Soravia |
Number of employees | 80,000 (peak; 1967) |
Radiotelevizor Libertas (Soravian: Радіотелевізор Лібертас), officially the Libertas Radio and Telecommunications Company and also known as RadioTV Libertas, was the state-owned television and radio broadcaster of the All-Soravian Union of Republics. Operating radio shows, news broadcasts and television shows from 1949 to 1983, it was the largest television and radio network in the UPSR, and was extensively vetted and controlled by the government of Soravia.
RTL's main networks were broadcast exclusively in Soravian, but regional subsidiaries offered broadcasts in other native languages. Radiocorporație Arciluco operated as the main radio and television company in West Arciluco, and was also a subsidiary of Libertas. Its name comes from the Solarian word for "liberty".
As television became popular across Euclea after the Solarian War, the ZVNP wanted to introduce black and white broadcasting into Soravia, where home television sets were becoming common. Many party officials regarded television as an influential medium for ideological broadcasts, and coupled with the popularity of radio, could be used to significantly influence public opinion of both the government and the party. As such, Radiotelevizor Libertas was created through consolidation of many regional radio and television networks in 1949. It was by far the largest network by viewership in the UPSR, and broadcasted a manner of cultural, political and sporting events. After the fall of the ZVNP and the Sostava War, it was dissolved in 1983.
History
With the advent of home television broadcasting and its subsequent popularisation throughout Euclea in the 1930s and 1940s for advancing national and wartime unity, the ZVNP sought the introduction of a consolidated, government-controlled network of radio and television broadcasts to mediate the dissemination of information throughout the country. The party, which already had a strong grip on broadsheet newspapers, funded the company's inaugural broadcasts in 1949, which targeted audiences in the Samistopol and Pavatrian FSRs. As regional broadcasts were taken over or bought out by Libertas, coverage eventually expanded throughout Soravia. In 1955, coverage was expanded to the entire country, despite poorer areas often lacking television sets.
The popularity of the network was expanded greatly as it procured licenses to broadcast Soravia's debut at the 1964 Euclovision Song Contest and the exclusive license to broadcast the domestic 1966 Invictus Games in Patovatra. The network was also popular for Peremotuvaty ("rewind"), its twice-daily news broadcast. At its peak, Libertas employed tens of thousands of people across the country, including newsreaders, producers, journalists, commentators and political correspondents.
The network began to lose viewership in the 1970s and dissonance against the government and ZVNP grew. In 1979, it began broadcasting propaganda orchestrated by Vilem Gardos' regime, encouraging national unity and reporting any dissonant acts to nearby police stations. Broadcast towers became a common objective for Partisan forces during the war, and as the country gradually fell under Partisan control, Libertas announced it would cease broadcasts on January 1, 1983. On the same day, the company was dissolved and replaced with Zortelekom, the current national broadcaster.
Channels
Television
- Libertas 1: News, current affairs, mainstream shows, significant cultural events (1949–1983)
- Libertas 2: Smaller cultural events, soaps, comedy shows (1957–1983)
- Libertas 3: Music, arts and culture (1960–1980)
- Libertas 4: Exclusively news (1962–1981)
Radio
- Radio Libertas: Popular music, news (1949–1983)
- Kul'turni Libertas: Exclusively music (1949–1982)
- Klasychnyy Libertas: Classical music, opera (1949–1983)
- Libertas Daily: Spoken-word programs, political news (1955–1980)