TV3 (Czech Republic)

Infobox TV channel
name = TV3
logosize =
logofile = TV3 Czech Republic.jpg
logoalt =
launch = May 25, 2000
closed date = December 18, 2001
picture format = 576i (SDTV 4:3)
owner = RTV Galaxie
country = Flag|Czech Republic
former names =
web =
sister names =
availability note =
(at time of closure)
terr serv 1 = Analogue
terr chan 1 = Prague, Hradec Králové (UHF)
sat serv 1 = Eurobird 1
sat chan 1 = 12607 H / 27500 / 3/4 (Prague)
cable serv 1 = Analogue
cable chan 1 = throughout the Czech Republic| |

TV3 was an analogue terrestrial, cable and digital satellite television channel broadcasting in the Czech Republic. [cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2001/eur/8243.htm|title=Czech Republic|accessdate=2008-07-18|publisher=United States Department of State] The station used to broadcast in some regions via analogue terrestrial television to 30% of the population in the Czech Republic,cite web|url=http://pcmlp.socleg.ox.ac.uk/transition/issue06/othernews.htm|title=VIII. Czech Republic: TV3 ownership structure|date=2000-06-10|accessdate=2008-07-19|publisher=University of Oxford] cable television and also via the Czechlink platform on the Eurobird 1 satellite. TV3 was also planning to become part of the plans for digital terrestrial to increase its reach to 75% of the Czech Republic. [cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/topics/telecoms/regulatory/studies/documents/annex_paper_country_profiles.pdf|title=Digital Switchover in Broadcasting|accessdate=2008-07-19|publisher=BIPE] The station closed in December 2001 after its broadcast license was revoked.

Launch

TV3 launched on May 25, 2000 using the regional frequencies of defunct television station Galaxie. The station launched at 1900 CET with a 60 minute regional news programme followed by the film Seductive Beauty. Programming on TV3 included regional breaking news programming with reporters on motorbikes alongside other general entertainment programming [cite web|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117822157.html?categoryid=19&cs=1|title=Czech out the new web: TV3|last=Meils|first=Cathy|coauthors=McNary, Dave|date=2000-05-30|accessdate=2008-07-18|publisher=Variety] and the purchase of the rights to show WWE Friday Night SmackDown in 2001. [cite web|url=http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/135892/wwf-renews-key-international-deals|title=WWF RENEWS KEY INTERNATIONAL DEALS|date=2001-09-27|accessdate=2008-07-19|publisher=Sport Business] The station used the tag "television for the new millennium" for its promotion, with its target audience skewed towards a young male audience. [cite web|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117786937.html?categoryid=14&cs=1|title=TV3 attracts Czech guys|last=Meils|first=Cathy|date=2000-09-26|accessdate=2008-07-19|publisher=Variety] The opening night of TV3 was hit by technical glitches during the launch night news programming. [cite web|url=http://archiv.radio.cz/english/cur-affrs/26-5-00.phtml|title=New TV station already suffering technical problems|date=2008-05-26|accessdate=2008-07-18|publisher=Radio Prague]

Soon after broadcasting, TV3 was ordered to take down all billboard advertising which related to a black boxer on a boxing ring floor being targerted by two white soldiers holding guns and looking at the boxer, alongside the word "Infozabava" ("Infotainment"). The advertisement was considered racist by the Advertising Board but TV3 defended itself stating the advertisement was not racist. [cite web|url=http://archiv.radio.cz/english/cur-affrs/14-6-00.phtml|title=TV 3 in trouble over controversial advert|date=2000-06-14|accessdate=2008-07-19|publisher=Radio Prague]

Commercial station merger discussions

In June 2001, Vladimír Železný, a Czech television tycoon and owner of TV Nova, held discussions with the three main commercial channels in the Czech Republic, TV Nova, TV Prima and TV3 about the suggestion of a merger. However, such a deal would have been considered illegal by the Czech Government. [cite web|url=http://www.radio.cz/en/article/10234|title=Press Review|last=Tax|first=Vladimir|date=2001-06-11|accessdate=2008-07-19|publisher=Radio Prague]

Transfer of licence

In September 2001, the Czech Radio and Television Broadcasting Council refused a request from European Media Ventures and Martin Kindernay to transfer TV3's licence to a Luxembourg based company, KTV, which EMV wanted to own TV3's licence. The council did allow the move of the licence to RTV Galaxie, completely owned by Kindernay. The decision angered EMV investors who were not consulted on the move of the licence and had lost control of TV3.cite web|url=http://www.cbw.cz/en/emv-to-seek-kc-1-billion-from-state/803.html|title=EMV to seek Kč 1 billion from state|last=Dragomir|first=Marius|date=2005-04-04|accessdate=2008-07-18|publisher=Czech Business Weekly] [cite web|url=http://www.allbusiness.com/services/motion-pictures/4776319-1.html|title=Investors Feud Over Czech Tv3|last=Holdsworth|first=Nick|date=2001-10-11|accessdate=2008-07-18|publisher=All Business]

In October, TV3 announced that 60% of its staff would be made redundant by January 1 as the channel was only attracting 1% of the Czech audience and losing money as a result. Staff to be made redundant received their notices on December 1.cite web|url=http://listserv.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A3=ind0112&L=TWATCH-L&E=0&P=2331169&B=--&T=text%2Fplain;%20charset=windows-1252|title=PRIVATE TV DISCONTINUES BROADCASTS...|date=2001-12-10|accessdate=2008-07-25|publisher=University of Buffalo|work=Tribunal Watch] A request to expand the TV3 service across the whole of the Czech Republic by using 47 UHF frequencies were all refused by the council. [cite web|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117854696.html?categoryid=14&cs=1|title=TV3 trims staff|last=Meils|first=Cathy|date=2001-10-23|accessdate=2008-01-19|publisher=Variety]

In November, EMV moved equipment from the Hradec Králové studios to TV3's Prague studios after Kidernay told EMV to suspend broadcasting or face immediate action, alongside a request for a thirty day break in broadcasting. EMV announced that it still had a right to broadcast and that they would still be broadcasting via cable and satellite, though terrestrial broadcasts went off the air on November 7, 2001. [cite web|url=http://www.radio.cz/en/article/11185|title=Newsview NOVA & TV3|last=Klement|first=Nicole|coauthor=Velinger, Jan|date=2001-11-07|accessdate=2008-07-18|publisher=Radio Prague] [cite web|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117855397.html?categoryid=19&cs=1|title=Czech web TV3 asks for b'cast break|last=Meils|first=Cathy|date=2001-11-06|accessdate=2008-07-18|publisher=Variety] [cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/czech/lupacr/129.shtml|title=Spory v TV3|date=2001-11-07|accessdate=2008-07-18|language=Czech|publisher=BBC] [cite web|url=http://archiv.radio.cz/news/GB/2001/07.11.html|title=Licence holder orders TV3 off the air|date=2001-11-07|accessdate=2008-07-24|publisher=Radio Prague] Kindernay lodged a complaint with the council stating that EMV were operating TV3 illegally.

TV3 went off the air for four days on all platforms on December 2, 2001 under guidance from the Czech Radio and Television Broadcasting Council whilst they decided whether TV3's broadcasts were legal. Text was displayed on screen during the time off air stating that the closedown was due to a decision made on November 20, 2001 by the council and that the station would definitely close by December 6. The council allowed Kindernay to resume broadcasting as the legal licence holder for TV3 under the control of RTV Galaxie. The station did resume broadcasting as TV3 Hradec Králové and TV3 Prague. [cite web|url=http://archiv.radio.cz/news/GB/2001/06.12.html#2|title=License holder: TV station will be back on air within 24 hours|date=2001-12-06|accessdate=2008-07-18|publisher=Radio Prague]

Closedown

On December 18, 2001, TV3's licence was revoked. The decision to revoke the licence was made because TV3 had been showing non-TV3 programming. [cite web|url=http://www.allbusiness.com/services/motion-pictures/4778728-1.html|title=Tv3 License Lost To Kindernay|last=Holdsworth|first=Nick|date=2001-12-20|accessdate=2008-07-18|publisher=All Business]

In January 2002, TV3 was given a temporary licence by the council for 60 days. [cite web|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117859170.html?categoryid=19&cs=1|title=TV3 gains temporary license|last=Meils|first=Cathy|date=2002-01-27|accessdate=2008-07-19|publisher=Variety] At the same time approval was given for defunct TV3 to be renamed to Galaxie. Galaxie remained broadcasting and was sold a year later to GES Holding, the owner of TV Prima.

TV3 remained broadcasting on the Eurobird satellite until August 2002, when the station was replaced with a channel using the identification of Stanice O (Óčko). [cite web|url=http://www.parabola.cz/clanky/397/novinky-ve-slovak-link-i-czechlink/|title=Novinky ve Slovak Link i Czechlink|date=2002-08-08|accessdate=2008-07-24|publisher=Parabola|language=Czech] [cite web|url=http://www.digizone.cz/clanky/placena-satelitni-televize-v-cesku-3-cs-link/|title=Placená satelitní televize v Česku (3.): CS Link|last=Polák|first=Lukáš|date=2007-10-30|accessdate=2008-07-24|publisher=DigiZone]

In 2005, the stations investor, EMV issued an arbitration to seek €33.4 million in damages from the Czech Radio and Television Broadcasting Council, because of the changes made back in 2001 to TV3's licence. [cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/czech/domesticnews/story/2005/08/050822_cz_media_arbitration_1800.shtml|title=Česko čeká arbitráž kvůli televizi TV3|date=2005-08-22|accessdate=2008-07-18|language=Czech|publisher=BBC] The arbitration case, being held in London, has come to a close and a decision is awaiting on the case. [cite web|url=http://www.praguemonitor.com/en/319/czech_national_news/21594/|title=ČR facing another arbitration lawsuit worth CZK 1bn|last=Junek|first=Adam|date=2008-04-21|accessdate=2008-07-19|publisher=Prague Daily] [cite web|url=http://aktualne.centrum.cz/czechnews/clanek.phtml?id=611150|title=ČR sued for CZK 13.5 billion in 11 arbitration lawsuits|last=Junek|first=Adam|date=2008-07-18|accessdate=2008-07-19|publisher=Aktuálně]

References

External links

* [http://web.archive.org/web/20020802155649/http://www.tv3.cz/ TV3 website (Wayback Archive)]