From the history of Czech Television

• 1. 1. 1992 Under a Czech National Council Law of 7. 11. 1991 (No. 483/1991 Coll.), Czech Television is established as a public service broadcaster; on a commission from the Czech National Council, Ivo Mathé takes up his post as interim director; Czech Television becomes the broadcasting operator on channels ČTV and OK3 a and makes programmes for the federal station F1 operated by Czechoslovak Television
• 31. 1. 1992 The Czech National Council elects the first nine-member Czech Television Council
• 1. 4. 1992 On the basis of the results of a competition for tenders invited by the Czech Television Council, Ivo Mathé becomes the first Director General of Czech Television
• 15. 4. 1992 On a motion proposed by the Director General, the Czech Television Council approves the first Bylaws of Czech Television
• 31. 12. 1992 Czechoslovak Television and the federal television station F1 are wound up
• 1. 1. 1993 The broadcasting of newly conceived and renamed Czech Television stations is launched - ČT1 (previously ČTV), ČT2 (previously F1) and ČT3 (previously OK3)
• 31. 12. 1993 The broadcasting of ČT3 ends as a station with special programming
• 1. 1. 1994 Simultaneous broadcasting of ČT2 programmes in the ČT3 transmitter network. ČT2 established as a station focused on minority viewer interests and thus complementing the programming of the universal station ČT1
• 3. 2. 1994 In accordance with the law, Czech Television made the existing nation-wide frequency of the station ČT2 (previously F1) available for the broadcasting of a commercial station
• 1. 4. 1995 The Radio and Television Licence Fee Act (No. 252/1994 Coll.) comes into force; the television licence fee is set at CZK 50
• 27. 9. 1995 On the basis of a proposal by the Director General of Czech Television, the Czech Television Council approves the new wording of the Czech Television Bylaws together with the Czech Television Code and the Czech Television Strategy
• 8. 12. 1995 The Czech Parliament approves the so-called "small amendment to media laws" (No. 301/1995 Coll.), which (among other things) places the second channel ČT2 under the permanent administration of Czech Television
• 31. 1. 1997 The term of the first Czech Television Council comes to an end
• 27. 2. 1997 The Czech Parliament elects the second Czech Television Council
• 1. 7. 1997 The television licence fee is set at CZK 75 under an amendment to the Radio and Television Licence Fee Act
• 1. 9. 1997 A 24-hour programme schedule is introduced on ČT1 (until then Teletext In Vision had, since 1993, been broadcast in the night-time hours)
• 17. 1. 1998 On the basis of a proposal by the Czech Television Director General, the Czech Television Council approves the new version of the Czech Television Bylaws including the Code and Strategy annexes
• 1. 4. 1998 On the basis of the results of a competition for tenders invited by the Czech Television Council, Jakub Puchalský becomes the new Director General of Czech Television
  
• 26. 8. 1998 Czech Television is incorporated in the EBU digital satellite network facilitating the reception and full digital broadcasting of programmes in the Eurovision network
  
• 1. 2. 1999 A 24-hour programming schedule is introduced on ČT2
  
• 2. 4. 1999 Launch of a programme to take over Euronews for live digital broadcasting
  
• 30. 4. 1999 Deutsche Telekom wins a competition for tenders to secure the digital satellite distribution of the Czech Television signal
  
• 1. 12. 1999 A decision is made to continue the satellite distribution of the Czech Television signal using the Copernicus satellite and, as its successor, Eurobird1
  
• 8. 12. 1999 Five of the nine members of the Czech Television Council vote to recall the Director General of Czech Television
  
• 15. 12. 1999 The Director General of Czech Television Jakub Puchalský resigns from office
  
• 31. 12. 1999 Czech Television manages the so-called Y2K problem and its computer system converts to the year 2000 successfully
  
• 18. 1. 2000 By a decision of the Director General of Czech Television, the Bylaws and Rules of Procedure of the Civic Panel are issued; this panel is an advisory body of the Director General for the support of civic, charity, humanitarian, cultural, sport and social activities and events
  
• 1. 2. 2000 On the basis of the results of a competition for tenders, Dušan Chmelíček becomes the new Director General of Czech Television
  
• 10. 3. 2000 The Czech Parliament recalls the second Czech Television Council
  
• 15. 3. 2000 Trial launch of live on-line broadcasting of news programmes
  
• 17. 3. 2000 By a decision of the Director General of Czech Television, the new Bylaws and Rules of Procedure of the Ethics Panel are issued; this panel is an advisory body of the Director General whose mission is to provide a qualified assessment of the ethical side of programmes broadcast by Czech Television
  
• 13. 4.-11. 7. 2000 The Czech Parliament elected the third Czech Television Council by stages
  
• 22. 9. 2000 Czech Telecom, a. s. wins a competition for tenders for the distribution and contribution of the Czech Television signal
  
• 1. 12. 2000 Broadcasting launch of Czech Television news and current affairs programmes via satellite in an open (i. e. not encoded) form, thus making it possible to receive them abroad free of charge
  
• 12. 12. 2000 The Czech Television Council recalls the Director General of Czech Television Dušan Chmelíček and invites tenders for the post
  
• 20. 12. 2000 After interviews with 6 applicants selected from 33 applicants, the Czech Television Council elects Jiří Hodač to the post of Director General of Czech Television; he takes up his post two days later
  
• 3. 1. 2001 The Government of the Czech Republic approves a bill for an amendment to the Czech Television Act
  
• 5.-6. 1. 2001 At an extraordinary meeting, the lower chamber of the Czech Parliament discusses the Czech Television Council's report on the situation at Czech Television; in its final resolution, it invites the Director General of Czech Television to resign or the Czech Television Council to recall him; the deputies state that Czech Television is not fulfilling its mission
  
• 11. 1. 2001 The Director General of Czech Television Jiří Hodač resigns
  
• 12. 1.-13. 1. 2001 At an extraordinary meeting, the lower chamber of the Czech Parliament discusses the situation at Czech Television and the amendment to the Czech Television Act; under the second ruling that Czech Television is not fulfilling its mission, the lower chamber of the Czech Parliament recalls the Czech Television Council with immediate effect and approves significant changes in the Czech Television Act; the Czech Parliament temporarily takes over the powers of the Czech Television Council, including the appointment of an interim director of Czech Television
  
• 17. 1. 2001 At an extraordinary meeting regarding the amendment to the Czech Television Act, the Senate of the Czech Republic does not approve the wording of the Act that has passed through the lower chamber of the Czech Parliament and reduces it only to a ruling which enables the lower chamber to take over powers of the recalled Czech Television Council and to elect an interim director of Czech Television
  
• 23. 1. 2001 The lower chamber of the Czech Parliament rejects the proposals of the Senate and approves the wording of the amendment to the Czech Television Act in the form in which it was passed on 13 January; the Act was signed by the President of the Czech Republic on the same day
  
• 25. 1. 2001 The amendment to the Czech Television Act takes effect upon being published in the Collection of Laws; Monday 29 January is set as the term for the submitting of proposals for candidates for the post of interim director of Czech Television; proposals may be submitted by deputies or parliamentary clubs
  
• 29. 1. 2001 The Czech Parliament selects 7 candidates for the post of interim director of Czech Television
  
• 9. 2. 2001 As part of an extraordinary meeting of the Czech Parliament, a public hearing is held for the proposed candidates for the post of interim director of Czech Television; Jiří Balvín is elected by secret ballot in the first round
  
• 25. 5. 2001 The Czech Parliament elects the fourth Czech Television Council
  
• 15. 11. 2001 On the basis of the results of a competition for tenders invited by the Czech Television Council, Jiří Balvín takes up the post of Director General of Czech Television
  
• 28. 2. 2002 The Director General of Czech Television launches, as of 1 March 2002, a restructuring of Czech Television aimed at higher efficiency, improved economic performance and better work organisation, taking into account the economic situation of Czech Television
  
• 6. 3. 2002 The Czech Television Council does not approve the budget of Czech Television for 2002 whose proposal was submitted by the Director General and asks the Director General to submit a proposal for the saving of further CZK 200 million on costs; the revised framework proposal is approved by the Council on 20 March
  
• 1. 5. 2002 The basic organisational structure of Czech Television Prague changes with the abolition of three production centres and creative groups and the foundation of six new centres (see Organisational chart); as of June 1, the structural changes are reflected also in the Ostrava Television Studio and as of July 1, in the Brno Television Studio
  
• 29. 5.-11. 6. 2002
  In line with Act No. 247/1995 Coll., on the Elections to the Parliament of the Czech Republic, ČT1 broadcasts the spots of parties and coalitions before the elections to the Chamber of Deputies (June 14 and 15); every day, the spots have been watched by an average number of 118,000 viewers
  
• 5. and 16. 6. 2002
  After the closing of the election premises, ČT1 broadcasts nine special news reports Election Studio 2002, amounting to 150 minutes of broadcasting time.
  
• 12. 8. 2002 at 9.58
  In connection with the floods, Czech Television launches an extra news service that ended with the last report on September 1, 2002, at 3 p. m.; from August 13 to August 17, 24 hours a day, ČT1 provided a continual extra news service on the floods
  
• 2. 9. 2002 The launch of a new broadcasting schedule of Czech Television brought major changes particularly to the programming system in the area of news and current affairs
  
• 26. 10. and 2. 11. 2002
  ČT1 broadcasts a series of extra news reports called Election Studio 2002 concerning the first (October 25 and 26) and the second (November 1 and 2) round of elections of one third of the Senate members; around the two latter dates, the reports focused also on municipal elections
  
• 6. 11. 2002 The Director General of Czech Television submits to the Czech Television Council a report drawn up by the consultancy company KPMG, proposing a restructuring of Czech Television; the Council considers the report and calls it the first complex analysis of the state of Czech Television, providing an outline of possible solutions
  
• 13. 11. 2002 The Czech Television Council criticises the Director General for his approach to the appointment of the director of the Brno Television Studio (Jiří Balvín repeatedly, on January 9 and on April 24, proposed to the Council the re-election of the previous director, Zdeněk Drahoš, which the Council refused); the Council decided to consider the recalling of the Director General
  
• 18. 11. 2002 The Czech Television Council at its extraordinary meeting unsuccessfully tries to vote for the recalling of the Director General Jiří Balvín
  
• 19. 11. 2002 On the eve of the Prague NATO summit, Czech Television broadcasts on ČT1 an exclusive interview with the U.S. president George Bush; from November 20, ČT broadcast a number of live transmissions from the Prague NATO summit and the associated events under the title NATO 2002 Studio
  
• 27. 11. 2002 The Czech Television Council recalls Jiří Balvín from his office of the Director General of Czech Television for a breach of obligations stipulated in his managerial contract; Petr Klimeš, the Director of Finance at Czech Television, is elected unanimously as interim director
  
• 4. 12. 2002 The interim director of Czech Television Petr Klimeš publishes his programme address, in which he declares his intention to focus on the stabilisation of Czech Television and to make sure that the temporary arrangements in the management of Czech Television are not detrimental to viewer satisfaction and to the quality of public service broadcasting as such
  
  
• The year 2003 in review
• The year 2004 in review