Sunday, January 31, 2010

Radio Prague releases new shortwave schedule


Radio Prague has published its new shortwave schedule effective on Monday 1 February. It’s as follows (all times UTC):

All times UTC


Czech
0930–0957 11600 SW Europe
1030–1057 21745 W Africa
1200–1227 9880 N Europe
1330–1357 6055 C Europe
1630–1657 5930 W Europe
1830–1857 5930 W Europe
2030–2057 5930 W Europe
2200–2227 5930 SW Europe
0030–0057 5930 S America
0230–0257 7345 N America
0330–0357 7345 N America

German
0730–0757 5930 W Europe
1100–1127 7345 C Europe
1300–1327 6055 C Europe
1600–1627 5930 W Europe
1730–1757 7285* W Europe

English
0800–0827 7345 NW Europe
1000–1029 21745 W Africa
1130–1157 9880 N Europe
1400–1429 11600 S Asia
1700–1727 5930 NW Europe
1800–1827 5930 NW Europe
2100–2127 5930 NW Europe/N America
2230–2257 7355 C & W Africa
2330–2357 5930 N America
0100–0127 7355 N America
0200–0227 7355 N America
0400–0427 7345 N America
0430–0457 9855 E Africa/Middle East

Spanish
0900–0927 11600 SW Europe
1500–1527 11600 SW Europe
1900–1927 6200 SW Europe
2000–2027 5930 SW Europe
2130–2157 5930 SW Europe/S America
0000–0027 5930 S America
0000-0027 7420** S America
0130–0157 7355 C America
0300–0327 7345 S America

French
0700–0727 5930 W Europe
0830–0857 11600 SW Europe/W Africa
1430–1457 11600 SW Europe/W Africa
1730–1757 5930 W Europe
1930–1957 6200 W Europe
2300–2327 5930 N America

Russian
0500–0527 5980 E Europe
1230–1257 6055 E Europe
1530–1557 5930 E Europe

Transmitters at Litomysl, 100 kW except:
*) Relayed via Sines, 250 kW
**) Relayed via Ascension, 250 kW

Selected programmes of Radio Prague are also relayed by Radio Miami International from Miami, FL, USA on 9955kHz. The complete programme schedule of WRMI can be found here.
(Source: Radio Prague)

Related story: Radio Prague continues on shortwave with one transmitter
An article on Radio Prague’s website deals with the situation following the Czech government’s decision to reduce the station’s budget, especially with regard to shortwave, which the Director of Radio Prague, Miroslav Krupicka, says accounts for about half the station’s audience reach:

“Radio Prague’s budget for this year has been reduced by 15.0 percent. It is a little bit more than we expected but we have to come to terms with it. It still makes it possible for us to continue shortwave broadcasts. What we have to do is to close one of the two shortwave transmitters that we have in Litomyšl. We will be able to cover basically more or less the same territory we have been covering so far, which means the whole of Europe, North Africa, let’s say the Middle East and parts of North and South America. We won’t be reducing very much the area that we cover so far.”

Those economy measures almost halve the shortwave transmission bill to 7.0 million crowns (US$ 387,000) a year. Dutch-based consultant and former RNW Creative Director Jonathan Marks and the AIB’s Simon Spanswick explain to Radio Prague’s Chris Johnstone why some international broadcasters have dropped shortwave altogether.
(R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)