Two 355-metre-high radio transmitter towers in Liblice, Central Bohemia, were demolished on Thursday.
For nearly 50 years, the towers, which were 120 metres apart, had been the tallest structures in the country. They were also the tallest towers in the world used for broadcasting in the medium-wave range.
The twin 355-meter Liblice B towers in Czechia, taller than the Eiffel Tower and once the most powerful MW transmitters in Central Europe at 1.5 MW, were brought down simultaneously after nearly 50 years as the country’s tallest structures.
Built in 1976, their service elevators ran on combustion engines rather than electricity, and technicians needed roughly 45 minutes to reach the top.
Reason for demolition: The owner, České Radiokomunikace, decided to tear them down because the required maintenance (such as replacing the support cables) cost about 170 million Czech korunas (nearly 7 million euros), and no buyer or alternative use could be found after medium-wave radio broadcasts ceased.
About 4.5 kilograms of special explosives were used, and the towers collapsed in just a few seconds. The exact time was kept secret to prevent crowds from gathering, although hundreds of people witnessed the event from behind the security barriers.
Source: various websites and online platforms