In a planned operation, the Czech Republic witnessed the controlled demolition of two iconic radio towers that stood 355 meters tall for half a century. The towers, which were no longer functional following the withdrawal of radio stations from medium wave broadcasting, were brought down at 11:15 AM in the direction of the town of Kolín.
According to Czech Radio, the last station to utilize the towers was Country Radio, which opted to transition to FM and DAB+ digital broadcasting. The owner, České radiokomunikace, indicated that the towers required urgent technical maintenance, including the replacement of guy wires, estimated to cost around 170 million Czech crowns (approximately €6.98 million). Without repairs, the structures posed a safety risk, and no buyer was found to finance their upkeep.
Despite their controversial fate, where some advocates expressed hopes to preserve the towers, calling them a significant achievement of Czechoslovak engineering and an essential part of the country’s broadcasting history, the decision to demolish was finalized. At one time, these towers were known as the most powerful transmitters in Central Europe.
The demolition utilized 4.5 kilograms of Semtex Razor 30 explosives to sever the supporting cables on the western side of the towers. Hundreds gathered to witness the event, and the dismantling of the steel structures is expected to continue for about 20 more working days after the towers fell.
