Czechoslovak Television

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Czechoslovak Television
TypePublic television
Country
Czechoslovakia
AvailabilityCzechoslovakia
HeadquartersPrague, Czechoslovakia
OwnerGovernment of Czechoslovakia
Launch date
1 May 1953
Dissolved31 December 1992
Former names
  • Czech: Československá televize
  • Slovak: Československá televízia and Česko-slovenská televízia
Replaced by

Czechoslovak Television (ČST) was the state television broadcaster of Czechoslovakia. Founded on 1 May 1953, it was known by three names over its lifetime: Czech: Československá televize, Slovak: Československá televízia (until 1990) and Slovak: Česko-slovenská televízia (from 1990 until 1992). ČST ended its broadcast with the Dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, with two public television stations established in its place: Česká televize and Slovenská televízia, both successors of ČST.

ČST originally consisted of a single channel and limited experimental broadcasting in 1953. Regular broadcasts began on 25 February 1954 and on 10 May 1970, a second channel was launched. The broadcast language of ČST was predominantly Czech in the first channel, Slovak for selected programming, and both for news. The second channel was split into two, broadcasting various "national" language programming in the two parts of the country.

The main headquarters of ČST was located in Prague, but it also had main studios in Bratislava, Košice, Ostrava and Brno.

History[]

The first public broadcasting was a short performance by František Filipovský on 1 May 1953. On 11 February 1955, the first live broadcast was made, an ice hockey match from Prague.[1]

Like all other media in the Communist Czechoslovakia, the station was subject to heavy censorship. However, as part of the process of social liberation in 1968, for a few days ČST aired broadcasts about the Prague Spring. However, in 1969, it became part of the normalisation efforts on the national media.

Launch of second channel[]

On 10 May 1970, Czechoslovak Television began broadcasting a second channel, ČST TV2.[2]

Move to colour broadcasting[]

Color television broadcasting studio
Color projection equipment (1971)

Further technical improvements were made on 9 May 1973, when the first regular broadcasts in colour started on TV2, followed two years later by colour transmission on the first channel as well.

At the end of the decade, in 1979, a building and a studio based in Prague's Kavčí hory was opened, which became the home of ČST's news department.

Division of ČST TV2[]

After November 1989, lineup changes were made, with the first channel being renamed F1 for the federal district, and the second channel being split into the Czech ČTV and the Slovak S1, the first such division of channels by ČST. A third channel for Czech audiences, previously used by Soviet broadcasting was launched on 14 May 1990, called OK3 (Czech: Otevřený kanál tři, English: Open Channel three). A replacement channel for Slovak audiences called TA3 was created on 6 June 1991 (broadcasting from August 1991 until July 1992).

Velvet Revolution[]

During the Velvet Revolution, ČST staff very quickly joined the side of the protesters and allowed them to spread important messages and broadcasts of the demonstrations.

Velvet divorce ends Czechoslovak Television[]

ČST disappeared along with Czechoslovakia on 31 December 1992. Its successor in the Czech Republic is Czech television, and in Slovakia Slovenská televízia.

Around its dissolution into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in the end of 1992, ČST was abolished, and the new companies, public service broadcasters, emerged:

Directors of ČST[]

  • 1953–1958: Karel Kohout
  • 1958–1959: Milan Krejčí
  • 1959–1963: Adolf Hradecký
  • 1963–1968: Jiří Pelikán
  • 1968: Bohumil Švec
  • 1968–1969: Josef Šmídmajer
  • 1969–1989: Jan Zelenka
  • 1989: Libor Bátrla
  • 1989–1990: Miroslav Pavel
  • 1990: Jindřich Fairaizl
  • 1990–1992: Jiří Kantůrek

Gallery[]

  • ČST's original logo from 1963 to 1969

  • ČST's second logo from 1969 to 1975

  • Color logo of ČST from 1969 to 1993

  • The startup and shutdown sequence of ČST.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Analýza mediálneho trhu v Slovenskej republike" (PDF) (in Slovak). 2014. p. 42. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  2. ^ "Ceska Televize Prehistorie". Česka Televize. Retrieved 21 August 2014.

External links[]

Media related to Československá televize at Wikimedia Commons

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