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100 Years of Czech Radio

1973 – 1980 A revolution in news reporting

  • The main technological breakthrough in the seventies involved the  fully fledged advent of stereo in radio broadcasting. In 1970, news reporting received its own national station called Star [Hvězda]. The photograph shows an editor from the news editing team in the 1980s. | Photo: APF Czech Radio

    The main technological breakthrough in the seventies involved the  fully fledged advent of stereo in radio broadcasting.|Photo: APF Czech Radio

  • The Soviet occupation destroyed any hope for a revivalist process in Czechoslovakia and for Czechoslovak Radio’s ability to broadcast freely. The establishment of a government Office for Press and Information meant the revival of censorship. Political vetting took place in April 1970 and led to extensive personnel purges, as a consequence of which a full third of the employees had to leave the radio. | Photo: APF Czech Radio

    The Soviet occupation destroyed any hope for a revivalist process in Czechoslovakia and for Czechoslovak Radio’s ability to broadcast freely. The establishment of a government Office for Press and Information meant the revival of censorship. |Photo: APF Czech Radio

  • 1968 Victims of the fight for radio; One of the first victims was a toolmaker from the Prague Transport Company, Milan Kadlec, who had been knocked down along with a number of others by an out of control freight vehicle on the corner of Vinohradská and Italská Streets. Crowds of people attended his funeral in the Church of Saint Matthew in Prague (in the photograph). Milan Kadlec and the others who fell trying to defend the radio in August 1968 are remembered today by a memorial plaque next to the main entrance into the Radio Building on Vinohradská Street. | Photo: APF Czech Radio

    Battle for Czech Radio 1968 - One  of  the first victims was Milan Kadlec, who had been knocked down along with a number of others by an out of control freight vehicle on the corner of Vinohradská and Italská and Italská Streets.|Photo: APF Czech Radio

  • 1968 Battle for Czech Radio; The small revolution that Czechoslovak Radio underwent in the 1960s ended with the invasion of the troops from the Warsaw Pact. The Radio Building became the site of the greatest clashes between the outraged public and the soldiers of the foreign armies. Czechoslovak Radio was occupied at 9 am on 21 August, but it proved possible to maintain the broadcasts despite the occupiers’ attempts to disrupt them. | Photo: APF Czech Radio

    The small revolution that Czechoslovak Radio underwent in the 1960s ended with the invasion of the troops from the Warsaw Pact. The Radio Building became the site of the greatest clashes between the outraged public and the soldiers of the foreign armies.|Photo: APF Czech Radio

  • 1960 – 1967 Gott, Neckář, Kubišová….; Popular music experienced an exceptional boom. Artists brought with them contemporary Western influences. This was also assisted by hit parades and rankings of popular music that had been taboo until that time. The radio play underwent its own renaissance and several of its incarnations also received international awards thanks to the exceptional acting personalities and the new generation of directors. | Photo: APF Czech Radio

    Popular music experienced an exceptional boom. Artists brought with them contemporary Western influences. This was also assisted by hit parades and rankings of popular music that had been taboo until that time. |Photo: APF Czech Radio

  • 1948 – 1959 — The monitoring service; The news at the beginning of the 1950s was distinguished by a departure from the classic provision of information in favour of “constructive” broadcasting. This was intended to educate the listeners and to motivate them to fulfil the first five-year plan. Bohuš Ujček, a rising star in the field of political broadcasts, reported from both the countryside and from state enterprises for the Radio Newspaper. | Photo: APF Czech Radio

    The news at the beginning of the 1950s was distinguished by a departure from the classic provision of information in favour of “constructive” broadcasting. This was intended to educate the listeners and to motivate them to fulfil the first five-year plan.|Photo: APF Czech Radio

  • 1945 – 1948 — The monitoring service; After the war, a  monitoring service was established under Czechoslovak Radio and based in the National House in Karlín. Its almost fifty employees monitored the news reports of several tens of international stations 24 hours a day. The results of their work were used in circulars that served the needs of various ministries, state bodies and own radio news service. | Photo: APF Czech Radio

    After the war, a  monitoring service was established under Czechoslovak Radio and based in the National House in Karlín.|Photo: APF Czech Radio

  • 1945 - The May Uprising and the fight for the radio; Czech Radio played an exceptional role in the May Uprising of 1945. Radio broadcasts helped organise the uprising and cooperation of the insurgents. The photograph most probably depicts two such fallen civilians at the intersection of present-day Vinohradská and Balbínova streets. | Photo: APF Czech Radio

    Czech Radio played an exceptional role in the May Uprising of 1945. Radio broadcasts helped organise the uprising and cooperation of the insurgents.|Photo: APF Czech Radio

  • A total of fifteen radio personnel died during the six years of Nazi persecution. The reporter František Kocourek was one of them. After being arrested twice and likewise refusing to collaborate with the Gestapo twice, his life ended tragically at Auschwitz in May 1942. One of Kocourek’ s last photographs (in the middle) was taken at Vyšehrad on 7 May 1939, from where he was broadcasting a live report on the official interment of the earthly remains of Karel Hynek Mácha in the cemetery there. | Photo: APF Czech Radio

    A total of fifteen radio personnel died during the six years of Nazi persecution. The reporter František Kocourek was one of them (in the middle)|Photo: APF Czech Radio

  • In the 1930s, the Radiojournal radio company persistently organised a large number of promotional events intended to spread awareness of the significance of the radio among the citizens of Czechoslovakia and to acquire new licence holders. A promotional bus equipped with speakers for group listening sessions often travelled around the country, especially to rural areas. In 1937, the number of licence holders in Czechoslovakia reached one million. | Photo: Czech Radio

    The promotional bus equipped with speakers for group listening sessions often travelled around the country, especially to rural areas. In 1937, the number of licence holders in Czechoslovakia reached one million. |Photo: Czech Radio

  • 1928 – 1932: The rapid development of radio, The photograph from 27 October 1928 im - mortalises the president in the audience hall at Prague Castle during a  speech to the representatives of the government upon the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Czechoslovak Republic. The recording of this speech was only the second audio recording to be stored in the Radiojournal archive on a gramophone record: the first was a recording of his speech to some children one day earlier. | Photo: archive of Czech Radio

    The photograph from 27 October 1928 im - mortalises the president in the audience hall at Prague Castle during a  speech to the representatives of the government upon the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Czechoslovak Republic.|Photo: archive of Czech Radio

  • May 1923, broadcast of a musical performance from the scout tent in Kbely | Photo: archive of Czech Radio

    May 1923, broadcast of a musical performance from the scout tent in Kbely|Photo: archive of Czech Radio

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Photogallery

Czech Radio’s centenary celebration

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

  • Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

    Photo: Barbora Navrátilová, Radio Prague International

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Video

Czechia in 30 minutes

Czechia in 30 minutes

Czechia in 30 minutes
Leon Jakimič | Photo: Ian Willoughby, Radio Prague International

EP74: Leon Jakimič

Co-founder Leon Jakimič discusses his plans to make international lighting and glass installation producers Lasvit Czechia's first new global luxury brand – and much more.

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