Czechoslovak Television

Czechoslovak Television

Type	Television
Country	Czechoslovakia
Headquarters	Czechoslovakia
Owner	The Government of Czechoslovakia
Launch date	May 1, 1953
Dissolved	December 31, 1992

Czechoslovak Television (ČST) was a television network. It was the main broadcaster of Czechoslovakia. It closed in 1993 because Czechoslovakia became two new countries, Czech Republic and Slovakia.

In the Czech language, it was called Československá televize.

In the Slovak language, it was called Československá televízia until 1990. In 1990, they changed the Slovak name to Česko-slovenská televízia.

History

Czechoslovak Television started on 1st May 1953. It was just one television programme, which was a few hours long.

Czechoslovak Television was heavily censored by the communist government. In 1968, the government allowed Czechoslovak Television to mention the Prague Spring protests for a few days. However, in 1969, the government started to censor ČST heavily again.

Launch of a second channel

On May 10, 1970, Czechoslovak Television made a second television channel, ČST TV2.

Colour Television

On May 9, 1973, Czechoslovak Television started to show television programmes in colour on ČST TV2. Two years later, they started colour television programmes on the first channel too.

In 1979, a studio was opened in the Kavci mountains, which became the home of Czechoslovak Television's news department.

ČST TV2 is split into two separate channels

In November 1989, Czechoslovak Television renamed the first channel F1, with the 'F' meaning the federal district of Czechoslovakia. The second channel was replaced by two new channels: ČTV, which was in the Czech language and S1, which was in the Slovak language.

They also created a new third channel in Czech on 14 May 1990, called OK3, using technology which used to broadcast Soviet television. Another new third channel was created in Slovak and called TA 3, on 6 June 1991.

Velvet Revolution

During the Velvet Revolution, when protests occurred in Czechoslovakia, the people who worked at Czechoslovak Television helped the protesters to spread their messages.

Velvet divorce ends Czechoslovak Television

Czechoslovakia became two new countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia on the 31st December 1992. This split is known as the 'Velvet Divorce'. Because of it, Czechoslovak Television was no longer needed. In the Czech Republic, a new television network called Czech television took over, and in Slovakia Slovenská televízia was created.

Directors of Czechoslovak Television

• 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