Television in the Czech Republic

Television was introduced in Czechoslovakia in 1953. Experimental projects with DVB-T started in 2000. Finally on 21 October 2005, multiplex A (DVB-T) was launched with three channels of Česká televize and one of TV Nova and radio channels of Český rozhlas.

On 12 April 2006, six digital terrestrial television licenses were awarded to commercial broadcasters. The receivers of the licenses were: Z1, TV Pohoda, Regionální televizni agentura (RTA), Febio TV, TV Barrandov and Óčko. However, because of delays some projects lost investors and will not start (e.g. Fabio, Pohoda) or were cancelled. Z1 provided a news service in from 2008 to January 2011, when it ceased broadcasting. Óčko delivers a music service. TV Barrandov provides general programming services.

Czech Republic become the first country in Central Europe to start to end all analogue broadcasts in November 2011. The process completed when the last analogue transmitters in south-east Moravia and northern Moravia-Silesia were shut down on 30 June 2012.

Milestone of digitalization

In September 2008, when multiplex A was available in Prague, Central Bohemian Region, in surrounding areas of Brno, Ostrava, Domažlice and Ústí nad Labem, leave this multiplex with their 4 channels Česká televize. All channels of Česká televize (ČT1, ČT2, ČT24 and ČT4) is now in multiplex 1 (with can be seen in Bohemia (except few exceptions), in surrounding areas of Brno and in Ostrava). Multiplex A transform to multiplex 2 with stations TV Prima, Prima Cool / TV R1, TV Barrandov, TV Nova and Nova Cinema. The cover is very similar as multiplex 1, except southeast part of Bohemie. Multiplex B transform to multiplex 3. Now there are broadcasting "Public TV" (its commercial station), Z1 and until 31 July 2009 Óčko. In Prague there is broadcasting multiplex 3 on two frequency. On one of this frequency you can see also Noe TV and Prima HDTV. Multiplex 3 covered just Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Plzeň and Ústí nad Labem. This multiplex now had problem to find reliable stations to broadcast. There is also multiplex 4 which is operated by O2, but there is broadcast only ČT1 HD and Nova HDTV and covered is just center of Prague, center of Plzeň, center of Ostrava and center of Brno.

Czech TV crisis

The "Czech TV crisis" occurred at the end of 2000 and lasted until early 2001 as a battle for control of ČT, which included jamming and accusations of censorship. During the Czech TV crisis, ČT reporters organized an industrial dispute by staging a sit-in and occupying the news studio, and rejected attempts by Jana Bobošíková, the newly appointed head of the news department, to fire them. They were supported in their protest by politicians such as the then President Václav Havel and by Czech celebrities, but every time they tried to air their news broadcasts, Jana Bobošíková and Jiří Hodač would jam the transmission either with a "technical fault" screen reading: "An unauthorized signal has entered this transmitter. Broadcasting will resume in a few minutes," or with their own news broadcasts featuring Bobošíková and a team she had hired to "replace" the staff members she had sought to terminate. The Czech TV crisis eventually ended in early 2001, following the departure from ČT of Hodač and Bobošíková, under pressure by the street demonstration participants and at the request of the Czech Parliament, which had held an emergency session due to the crisis.

Most-viewed channels

The ATO measures television ratings in the Czech Republic since 1997. The channels with most share according to ATO's measurements were:

Broadcaster groups market share

List of channels

Terrestrial free-to-air channels (DVB-T2 & Satellite)

• Czech Television - public service broadcaster
  • ČT1 (HD) - main channel
  • ČT2 (HD) - second main channel
  • ČT24 (HD) - news channel
  • ČT Sport (HD) - sport channel
  • ČT :D (HD) / ČT art (HD) - time shared position (channel for kids / culture channel)
• Nova Group (PPF)
  • TV Nova (HD) - main channel
  • Nova Cinema (HD) - movie channel
  • Nova Action (HD) - channel for men
  • Nova Fun (HD) - channel for younger
  • Nova Gold (HD) - archive channel
  • Nova Lady (HD) - channel for women
  • Nova Sport 1 (HD) - sport channel with pay TV
  • Nova Sport 2 (HD) - sport channel with pay TV
  • Nova Sport 3 (HD) - sport channel with pay TV
  • Nova Sport 4 (HD) - sport channel with pay TV
  • Nova Sport 5 (HD) - sport channel with pay TV
  • Nova Sport 6 (HD) - sport channel with pay TV
• Prima Group (FTV Prima Group)
  • TV Prima (HD) - main channel
  • Prima Cool (HD) - channel for younger
  • Prima Love (HD) - channel for women
  • Prima Zoom (HD) - documentary programs
  • Prima Max (HD) - movie channel
  • Prima Krimi (HD) - crime series programs
  • CNN Prima News (HD) - news channel
  • Prima Star (HD) - archive channel
  • Prima Show (HD) - reality show programs
  • Prima +1 - timeshifted channel
• TV Barrandov
  • TV Barrandov (HD) - main channel
  • Kino Barrandov (HD) - movie channel
  • Barrandov Krimi (HD) - crime documentary programs
• Markíza Slovakia (PPF)
  • Markíza International - czech version with Markíza
• JOJ Czech (J&T Group)
  • JOJ Family - czech version for TV JOJ
  • JOJ Cinema (HD) - movie channel with pay TV
  • CS Mystery - sci-fi documentary programs (former Kinosvět)
• Stanice O
  • Óčko - music channel
  • Óčko Expres - music channel with pay TV
  • Óčko Black - hip hop & rock music channel
  • Óčko STAR - retro music channel
• Seznam.cz
  • Seznam.cz TV (HD) - main channel
• Paramount Networks EMEAA
  • Paramount Network - serial & movie channel
• AMC Networks International Central Europe
  • Spektrum Home
• TV NOE
• DofE
• Šláger 1
• Rebel
• Relax (former TV Pohoda)
• Sporty TV
• ABC TV
• Retro Music TV
• OK TV
• Nalaďte se na digitální vysílání CRA
• Televize pres antenu

Regional terrestrial free-to-air channels (DVB-T2)

• Praha TV
• Brno TV 1
• Info TV Brno a Jižní Morava
• Polar
• JTV
• JČ1 Televize jižní Čechy
• JČ2 Televize jižní Čechy
• i-Vysočina.cz
• LTV PLUS
• Plzeň TV
• RTM+
• TV Morava
• TVS
• TV ZAK
• Ústecká TV
• V1

Premium channels

Film

• HBO (HD) (version for Czech Republic and Slovakia)
• HBO 2 (HD)
• HBO 3 (HD) (former HBO Comedy)
• Cinemax (HD)
• Cinemax 2 (HD)
• AMC (former MGM Channel)
• TCM (English audio only)
• Film Europe (HD)
• Film Europe+
• Film+ (HD)
• FilmBox
• FilmBox Arthouse
• FilmBox Plus
• FilmBox Premium (HD)
• FilmBox Family
• FilmBox Extra HD
• CS Film / CS Horor
• Canal+ Action
• Warner TV

Entertainment

• AXN (HD) (version for Czech Republic and Slovakia)
• AXN Black
• AXN White
• Canal+ Domo
• Comedy Central Extra (Czech subtitles)
• E!
• Epic Drama
• Fashionbox HD
• Fashion TV (version for Czech Republic and Slovakia)
• Food Network (English audio only)
• HGTV
• TLC
• Hobby TV
• Mňam TV
• Mňau TV
• SYFY (coming soon)

Documentary

• Animal Planet (HD)
• BBC Earth
• CBS Reality (former Zone Reality)
• Discovery Channel Europe (HD)
• Discovery Science
• DTX
• Investigation Discovery
• Docubox HD (English audio only)
• NASA UHD
• National Geographic (HD) (version for Czech Republic and Slovakia)
• Nat Geo Wild (HD)
• H2 (English audio only)
• History Channel (HD)
• Crime and Investigation Network
• Spektrum (HD) (version for Czech Republic and Slovakia)
• Spektrum Home (former TV Deko)
• Travel Channel (HD)
• TV Paprika
• Fishing & Hunting TV
• Wild TV
• Travel xp
• UP network
• Viasat History (HD)
• Viasat Explorer (HD)
• Viasat Nature (HD)
• Love Nature
• Nautical Channel
• CS History

Sport

• Canal+ Sport (version for Czech Republic and Slovakia)
• Eurosport (HD)
• Eurosport 2 (HD)
• Extreme Sports Channel (Czech subtitles)
• Fast&FunBox HD
• FightBox (English audio only)
• O₂ TV Sport
• O₂ TV Fotbal
• Sport 1 (HD)
• Sport 2 (HD)
• Arena Sport 1 (HD)
• Arena Sport 2 (HD)
• Premier Sport 1 (HD)
• Premier Sport 2 (HD)
• Premier Sport 3 (HD)
• Auto, Motor & Sport (HD) (version for Czech Republic and Slovakia)
• Ginx Esports TV (English audio only)
• Golf Channel (HD) (version for Czech Republic and Slovakia)

Kids and teens

• Disney Channel (former Jetix) (version for Czech Republic and Slovakia)
• Disney Junior (English audio only)
• Cartoonito
• Cartoon Network
• Nickelodeon (version for Czech Republic and Slovakia)
• Nick Jr. Channel
• Nicktoons
• Jim Jam
• Minimax
• Ducktv (HD)
• Baby TV

Music

• MTV Europe (Czech localization)
• MTV Music (UK version)
• MTV Hits (European version)
• MTV Live (UK version)
• Club MTV (European version)
• MTV 80s (European version)
• MTV 90s (European version)
• MTV 00s (European version)
• Music Box
• Retro Music Television (FTA in regional DVB-T)
• Šláger 2
• Šláger Premium
• Stingray Classica
• Stingray CMusic
• Stingray iConcerts
• Mezzo (French version)
• Mezzo Live HD (French version)
• Deluxe Music
• 360 TuneBox (HD)

Erotica

• Leo TV
• Extasy TV
• Blue Hustler
• Hustler TV
• Penthouse TV (HD)
• Playboy TV (HD)
• Brazzers TV Europe (former Private Spice)
• Dorcel TV (HD)
• Dorcel XXX (HD)
• Private TV (former Daring TV! (former XXX X-Treme))
• EroX (HD)
• EroXXX (HD)
• Man-X
• X-MO
• The Adult Channel (UK version)

News

• Al Jazeera
• Arirang
• BBC News
• Bloomberg
• CGTN
• CNBC
• CNN
• DW
• Euronews
• France 24
• NHK World Japan
• Sky News
• TA3 (Slovak version)
• TRT World

See also

• List of television stations

References