It has just been announced that the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs is looking for Radio Prague to end all shortwave transmissions from the Czech Republic at the end of 2009. This would be an irreversible step. Radio Prague is the only customer at Litomysl and this would result in the closing and dismantling of that transmitter site.
Radio Prague’s former editor-in-chief David Vaughan is afraid that the closure of shortwave, if it goes ahead, could spell the end for Radio Prague. He writes: “when I was also active in the European Broadcasting Union, I followed developments in international broadcasting closely. During that period a number of international broadcasters abandoned their roots in radio – nearly always at the bidding of bureaucrats rather than those involved in the stations themselves. Almost without exception the outcome, sooner or later, was the demise of the station altogether.
Mr Vaughan continues “The news of the latest cuts puts the staff and management of Radio Prague in a difficult position. It will not be easy for them to launch a campaign to save the shortwave broadcasts, as they could find themselves facing the alternative of having to cut jobs instead. Given that the amount of money needed to save the shortwave broadcasts is so small [about half a million euro a year], I am convinced that the cause is worth fighting for and that it does not have to be a case of pitching jobs against shortwave. If the decision-makers in the government and at the ministry can be made to understand what is at stake, I am sure that the money can be found. ”
Mr Vaughan says that Radio Prague needs to get listeners support at this time. Their address is:
Radio Prague
Vinohradská 12
120 99 Prague 2
Czech Republic
Tel: (+420) 221 552 933
Fax: (+420) 221 552 903
E-mail: cr@radio.cz
Listeners should also contact The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic
Ministerstvo zahranicních vecí
Loretánské námestí 5
118 00 Praha 1, the Czech Republic
tel: +420 224 181 111
e-mail: podatelna@mzv.cz
Listeners should contact the Czech Embassies and representatives in their own country. A List of Czech Embassies can be found here.
(Source: David Vaughan via Jonathan Murphy/Mike Barraclough)
Andy Sennitt adds: Just for clarification, Radio Netherlands Worldwide has also cut back on shortwave usage in recent years. In our case, the decisions on what to cut, and when, have been made internally after extensive research into listening patterns, and a re-evalution of our core tasks and target areas. There has been absolutely no input from bureaucrats or politicians. Because of the rapidly-changing nature of international broadcasting, we now have a strategy department - of which I am a member - that advises management and colleagues in other departments on the options available.
on Oct 13th, 2009 at 10:13
Isn’t reducing the amount of shortwave broadcasts an option? The English broadcast is broadcast several times a day.
I think Radio Prague should explore options for broadcasting on MW to Western Europe. This would enable them to reach a wider audience.
RTE needs money, why don’t they put 567 back on air but lend the frequency to international broadcasters such as Radio Prague and even Radio Netherlands? It would be great to be able to get Radio Netherlands on AM again.
on Oct 13th, 2009 at 20:50
I guess CRI would love to lease a tx on 567 kHz 24×7. But I doubt that R.Prague has enough money and guts even for 30 min. daily.
on Oct 14th, 2009 at 03:54
Sería una verdadera lástima La pérdida de Radio Praga.
on Oct 14th, 2009 at 19:48
Andy Please don’t confuse the issue of listening patterns and budget cuts. What RNW did a year ago was to disguise a budget cut with a lame survey( very few even knew existed) that claimed listeners were moving away from shortwave to the internet. I would challenge RNW to produce statistics showing an increase in listenership via the internet one year on. Ultimately, it is the bureaucrats that hold the purse strings that control your operating budget. As for Radio Prague, I agree with one post suggesting a schedule reduction but I would not advise them to abandon shortwave altogether. Remember that shortwave service is in many ways an instrument of foreign policy to many parts of the world that don’t have reliable internet service.
on Oct 14th, 2009 at 20:54
Budget cut? What budget cut? We haven’t had a budget cut in the last couple of years. What we have done is reallocate our budget. You say that very few people knew the survey existed. That’s exactly the point - most didn’t know because they weren’t listening to us. Neither have I, or anyone at RNW, made the claim that these people have switched to listening on the Internet. A few have, many haven’t. I don’t mind criticism - I’ve had it most of my working life. But please don’t criticise me or RNW for something we haven’t said.
That the shortwave audience in North America has dropped dramatically is a fact that isn’t in dispute, even amongst the most diehard SWLs. That’s why Passport to World Band Radio isn’t publishing a 2010 edition. As a hobbyist, you have the luxury of being able to pretend nothing has changed. As broadcasters, we have to deal with the situation as it really is.
I do agree with your comments about Radio Prague. RNW does not plan to abandon shortwave altogether either, for the reasons you state. That has been clearly stated by our DG Jan Hoek, and reported in this blog.
on Oct 15th, 2009 at 09:14
I have been racking my brain trying to come up with a reason why you might think I said there had been an increase in listening to RNW on the Internet. I did, I believe, mention somewhere that more than 50% of users on our English website were from North America. But I was referring to the website in general, not specifically audio. RNW has never bought the argument that Internet listening is a direct replacement for shortwave. The numbers are much smaller. Even so, the cost per listener is a small fraction of what it costs to broadcast on shortwave. There comes a point at which the number of listeners on shortwave is too small to justify the expense. That’s what happened with English to North America. You may not like it - as a longtime SWL, neither do I - but unfortunately facts are facts.
on Oct 15th, 2009 at 17:00
Apoyemos a Radio Praga. En estos momentos necesita escucharlo de sus oyentes.
on Oct 19th, 2009 at 08:55
Will the DRM SW transmissions to Europe disappear too?