National identity specifics of Russian television

In Russia today there is no national television channel, and nationaltelevision is conceived as regional television. This understanding is burdened with the history of theRussian Empire, in which ethnic minorities were often oppressed. In defending their rights, smallnations tend to give their national identity better expression using the national media, includingnational broadcasters.For centuries, Russia had a contradictory and inconsistent government policy in relation tonational margins of the country, to their cultures and languages. Such a zigzag policy continues today.For example, the state broadcasting company is supported in localities with only 3500-5000 people(Toura in Sakha, Palana in Chukotka), although these nomad herders camps can receive programs ofthe Russia channel conducting state policy in their air.On the other hand, foreign language programs exist only in half of the 12 regions of the Siberianfederal district (in the republics of Altai, Khakassia, Tuva, Buryatia, Transbaikal region and inNovosibirsk region). National TV companies, as well as the vast majority of other regionaltelevision stations, have a small amount of their own production programs (3-4 hours per day). Theydo not have enough professional staff capable of speaking before a microphone in the languages ofsmall nations. These problems are superimposed on the negative dynamics of language, when manyresidents of the republics, especially in large cities, lose possession of their native language.In the creation of government policy in the national autonomous regions a balance must be soughtbetween the language of interethnic communication and the language of the titular nation. Any attemptof protrusion of national characteristics lead to flashes of nationalism, but underestimation of ethnicidentity leads to cultural failures and reduces the quality of human resources. Understanding thedialectic of the local and the national universal requires journalists to search for specific formats ofbilingualism.Television in the regions has a chance to create a language image of the world and to facilitate theintegration of different ethnic groups, but, at the same time, TV can be a tool of xenophobia. In light ofthe orders of the President of the Russian Federation to create a public television in the country in thenear future creation of the model of television, transmitting facts, opinions and knowledge, as well asthe national image of the world is of particular relevance. Interdisciplinary research is required fortelevision as a cultural factory of nation and the workshop of national identity.

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