The unexpected history of anticipated sports broadcasts. Broadcasting of sports events in Czechoslovakia in the years 1947-1989
Abstract
This paper is devoted to sports broadcasting. But not to its current form, but its history in Czechoslovakia.
There are currently several studies that deal with the simultaneous development of television sports broadcasting. However, the beginnings of sports broadcasting is an overlooked topic, especially in the Czech Republic.
In some literature, it is written that sports broadcasting is a phenomenon that begins to emerge only at the end of the 20th century during the massive development of telecommunication technologies. The aim of this paper is, however, to indicate at least that sports television broadcasting has its history, which can be traced even in the conditions of communist Czechoslovakia.
This history will be presented through several historical excursus, which are based on archive research. This research was performed in the archives of Czech Television.
First of all, it will be stressed that sporting events, especially ice hockey and football, have been part of the Czech Television broadcasting since the very beginning. Furthermore, it will be mentioned how the broadcasts influenced the actual events in stadiums.
Statistics of sports broadcasting in the 60s, 70s and 80s will be also presented.