70 years of Bantiger This broadcasting tower made television popular in Europe
The construction of the television tower on the Bantiger near Bern in 1954, when it was still a temporary structure.
Image: KEYSTONE
The opening of the television tower on the Bantiger near Bern. The picture was taken in 1955.
Image: KEYSTONE
The transmitter console with sound and image control for the television station, taken in January 1955.
Image: KEYSTONE
The photo was taken in 1962, when the National Council approved a loan of CHF 2.3 million to extend the television tower. A new three-storey operations building was erected and the tower was raised by 15 meters.
Image: KEYSTONE
A television camera and broadcasting van at the opening of the television tower in 1955.
Image: KEYSTONE
The television tower in 1994, when the new tower was built and raised by a good 86 meters.
Image: KEYSTONE
The new broadcasting tower, taken in September 1995 after completion of the second broadcasting tower.
Image: KEYSTONE
The new transmission tower in 1995.
Image: KEYSTONE
This is what the broadcasting tower looks like today.
Image: KEYSTONE
The construction of the television tower on the Bantiger near Bern in 1954, when it was still a temporary structure.
Image: KEYSTONE
The opening of the television tower on the Bantiger near Bern. The picture was taken in 1955.
Image: KEYSTONE
The transmitter console with sound and image control for the television station, taken in January 1955.
Image: KEYSTONE
The photo was taken in 1962, when the National Council approved a loan of CHF 2.3 million to extend the television tower. A new three-storey operations building was erected and the tower was raised by 15 meters.
Image: KEYSTONE
A television camera and broadcasting van at the opening of the television tower in 1955.
Image: KEYSTONE
The television tower in 1994, when the new tower was built and raised by a good 86 meters.
Image: KEYSTONE
The new broadcasting tower, taken in September 1995 after completion of the second broadcasting tower.
Image: KEYSTONE
The new transmission tower in 1995.
Image: KEYSTONE
This is what the broadcasting tower looks like today.
Image: KEYSTONE
The Bantiger television tower near Bern is 70 years old this year. It enabled live broadcasts across Europe for the first time and made a significant contribution to the popularity of television. Its history.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- The Bantiger broadcasting tower is 70 years old. It was first built in 1954 as a temporary structure.
- The reason for this was to broadcast live coverage of the football World Cup, which was taking place in Switzerland.
- The Bantiger plays a major role in the popularization of television in Switzerland and Europe. For the first time, the European networks for television broadcasts were linked together.
If you want to watch television today, you need a connection to a cable network, a satellite dish or reception via the Internet. But before all this existed, people had to rely on television towers such as this one on the Bantiger near Bern. The tower is now 70 years old.
The tower, which was 60 meters high at the time, was built in 1954, initially as a temporary structure. The television tower played an important historical role in the Football World Cup, which took place in Switzerland that year.
For the first time, the European networks for television broadcasts were linked together. This meant that anyone with a television set could watch the matches live. "It was pioneering work, it had to be dared," says Juri Jaquemet, curator at Swisscom's Museum of Communication.
The idea and implementation came from the Post-, Telefon- und Telegrafenbetriebe (PTT). "The television pictures had to be broadcast throughout Europe," Jaquemet continues. "You couldn't broadcast directly from Wankdorf, because television signals spread like light." This is the reason why the television transmitters are always so high up.
European networks for television transmission connected for the first time
"The cameras from the TV van were down in Wankdorf and went up to Bantiger via a directional beam. From there, they continued over the Chasseral to Europe."
At that time, directional radio was needed because it was one of the fastest technologies available for transmitting television images. "Fiber optic technology didn't exist yet," says Jaquemet.
The population reacted differently to the transmission tower at the time. "Most people thought it was cool and exciting, but there were also some who warned against it." On the one hand, they warned that the silhouette of the mountain would be changed, which was not a good thing for reasons of heritage protection. On the other hand, television would dumb down young people. "We are in an absolute pioneering phase here, in 1954 there was no regular television program."
40 to 50 million viewers
But the tower was created and helped make the World Cup popular throughout Europe. "Between 40 and 90 million viewers watched the games," says Jaquemet. "This collective experience contributed to television becoming a popular medium in Switzerland and throughout Europe." Very few people watched the games at home, but rather in a restaurant or in front of a radio and TV store. A kind of early "public viewing".
From 1955, the Bantiger also transmitted radio signals. The final transmitter building was ready for occupation in 1966. In addition to the technical rooms, this also included a workshop, offices, lounge, kitchen, shower and two bedrooms. A viewing terrace was also built for the public.
In consultation with the nature and heritage conservation authorities, the PTT moved parts of the operating rooms underground, thus ensuring that the building fitted in better with the contours of the mountain ridge.
The loneliest work of art in Switzerland
The transmission tower as we know it today was built in 1996. It is 186 meters high. At the very top of the tower, the late Bernese artist Carlo E. Lischetti (1946-2005) placed the steel "Monument to the Sewing Needle". It is probably the loneliest work of art in the country.
The television tower has since been replaced by new technology and is no longer used for television programs. Today, the facility belongs to Swisscom and broadcasts FM and DAB+ radio programs. It is also used to transmit radio relay signals and is the location for mobile phone antennas and radio services.