New ČT studio will not be built due to issues with land in Bosonohy

Brno - The planned new studio of Czech Television in Brno, costing more than 600 million crowns, will not be built in Brno-Bosonohy, as the public broadcaster announced last December. The reason is difficulties with land acquisition for the construction. Hana Orošová, spokesperson for the Brno studio of Czech Television, said this to ČTK. A decision on new land should be made by the end of August. However, according to her, the completion date for the studio in the second half of 2013 remains unchanged and is binding.
    "The new studio cannot be located as originally planned in Bosonohy. The company Alatri, which is responsible for securing land for this construction, has not been able to resolve property rights issues for this land," Orošová stated. Czech Television is now looking for new lands. In this regard, the current economic crisis is said to have a positive effect, as there is now a greater supply of suitable locations for the studio that have resolved property rights issues.
    In connection with the unsuccessful negotiations for land acquisition, Czech Television had to cancel the tender for the project contractor for the construction. The reason is that the competition's terms were based on conditions provided by the land in Bosonohy, where construction was intended to take place "on greenfield." However, the land and its facilities will surely change now. "A new tender has not yet been announced, as it is tied to specific lands. As soon as there is clarity about them, we will announce it immediately," Orošová stated.
    The new studio will occupy approximately 15,000 square meters. The television currently operates in two buildings in the city center. However, the layout does not fully meet the needs of Czech Television. The buildings date back to the First Republic and have not yet been completely reconstructed. The Typos building on Jezuitská Street was originally a residential building, and the basement space, where the studio is now, used to be a dance hall. The building on Běhounská Street previously served as a bank. Czech Television also has storage facilities and garages in Židenice. All of the buildings are to be sold by Czech Television, and the proceeds will cover part of the costs of building the new headquarters.
    In the past, the television sought the area of the former Jaselské barracks near the center of Brno, where the series Četnické humoresky was filmed. However, they reconsidered due to the high price and unclear ownership relations. There was also previously a consideration for an alternative location for the studio in the Brno district of Žebětín.