He was born at Oscarsborg Fortress as a son of Major General Carl Fredrik Johannes Bødtker (1851–1928) and Karen Agathe Falck (1852–1932).
[1] He was one of four sub-directors under commissary president Wilhelm Frimann Koren Christie, who in turn answered to the Minister of Culture and Enlightenment.
Christie answered with scrutiny of Bødtker's economic affairs, and found some exaggerated costs for rent of cars, hotel rooms et cetera.
By that time the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation had experienced severe hardships, as most of the listeners abruptly disappeared: radios had become prohibited in the autumn 1941 for everybody save members of Nasjonal Samling.
[5] Bødtker remained in his position until Victory in Europe Day, when the Nazi regime fell; he was arrested shortly thereafter.
However, after a while it became clear that he had worked to help the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation through a difficult time, and tried to resist Nazi German attempts of monetary exploitation of the company.