Today is Radio Prague's 70th birthday. On 31 August 1936, the first ever programme in English was broadcast from Prague and the date is considered the birth of the international shortwave service in Czechoslovakia. We take this opportunity to wish our friends and colleagues at Radio Prague a very happy birthday. To mark the occasion, Radio Prague's Ian Willoughby paid a visit to the place from where the first programme was broadcast in 1936; Radio Prague's original transmission centre is a very interesting building just outside the central Bohemian town of Podebrady, and is now home to a golf club. Ian's guide was Oldrich Cip, Czech Radio's shortwave expert. Among the issues that came up are why Radio Prague was established, what was the content of early programs, what jamming entailed - and much more.
To learn more and listen to the station's audio, go to: http://www.radio.cz/en/article/82638The occasion is also marked by an interview with Radio Prague's editor-in-chief Gerald Schubert who stresses that in 2006, Radio Prague is much more than a shortwave radio station.
Radio Prague's editor-in-chief on Radio Prague in 2006
(Source: R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)