great news, from earlier hobby speculation indicated they would sign-off by December 31, 2009Jonathan Murphy has forwarded the following email received by Anker Petersen:
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC
Department for Culture, Communication and Promotion
Prague, December 2, 2009
Ref. Nr.: 129223/2009-OKKP
Mr. Anker Petersen
Chairman of the Danish Shortwave Club International
Udbyvej 11
2740 Skovlunde
Dear Mr. Petersen,
thank you very much for your letter of October 16, 2009. I would like to appreciate your interest in broadcast of the Czech Radio Prague. We are proud to have such a radio and there is no intention to stop its broadcast. The Radio helps promote the good name of the Czech Republic in the world and plays a key role also for Czechs living abroad. Great support and encouragement for Czech countrymen is also the Internet site www.krajane.net managed by the Radio.
Due to current financial crisis the Government of the Czech Republic decided in June 2009 to reduce the state budget by 20%. Following the Government Resolution No. 715 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is obliged to reduce the budget of the Radio for 2010 also by 20%.
According to the data received from the Radio the reduction will mean saving on all budgetary items and increasing of the Internet budget. The short-wave broadcast will be retained in reduced form. Foreign transmitters will probably replace some of the transmitters in Northern Bohemia. The broadcast in different languages should remain unchanged.
Thank you very much again for your interest in the broadcast from the Czech Republic. If you have more questions please do not hesitate to contact directly the Czech Radio or our Ministry.
Yours faithfully
Robert Řehák
(Mike Barraclough/worlddxclub)