TV Moves into Virtual Reality as a Projection of Development

The rapid development of digital technologies has a significant impact on the media market and media systems as a whole. Despite the fact that traditional TV has become the first to have mastered the digital platform and still retains leadership among audiences of different countries, it is also experiencing the pressure of evolutionary technologies. One of these areas is the competitive dynamic development of technological tools to create a virtual reality that completely captures the attention of consumers, especially the younger generation, and plunges them into the space of the surreal world. But is TV actually not familiar with virtual reality or is it just a stereotype, established as a result of the existence of analog TV for several decades in the last century? This author considers the terminological backing of “virtual reality” and the emergence of this definition as exemplified by cinema and TV, as well as analyzes the signing of the cooperation agreement between the Russian TV channel “Digital TV” (part of the holding VGTRK) and the largest technology company “KROK” for the purpose of creating a consortium for the development of virtual reality in the Russian market. The author also addresses the issue of possible consumer awareness manipulation, especially among the younger generation, with the abuses of games and other applications of virtual reality, and reveals dissonance in consumer awareness of the virtual and objective realities in the future. Besides, the trend of development in Russian TV broadcasting is considered, identified in the framework of the International Congress of the National Association of Broadcasters. The author rationalizes the involvement of the younger generation in the world of virtual reality, assuming that it will not only improve the profitability and capitalization of TV as the leading media system, but may also attract target audiences to domestic television viewing.