Mailbox

Today in Mailbox: listeners’ response to the fact that Radio Prague is to stay on shortwave, a new frequency schedule, SoundCzech, Czech men and doctors. Listeners quoted: Michael Fanderys, Don Hetherington, Uday Nayak, Michael Matejka, Lynda-Marie Hauptmann.

Hello and welcome to Mailbox. Thank you for keeping in touch with us through your e-mails, letters and reception reports. We are still getting messages reacting to the fact that Radio Prague is to stay on shortwave despite substantial budget cuts. Michael Fanderys from Ohio comments on the announcement:

Transmitters site in Litomysl in the east of the Czech Republic, from where Radio Prague is broadcast to the world, in operation since 1955 |Photo: Radio Prague International

“I was very glad to hear on the latest Mailbox program that the shortwave radio service of Radio Prague will continue. Listening to Radio Prague's shortwave service is what prompted my wife and me to continue finding out more about the country where her father's side of the family came from: what life is like there now, the Czech culture, heritage and ongoing news about the Czech Republic. I commend the staff, both past and present for their work and ongoing projects and reports of interest to all listeners around the world.”

Don Hetherington writes from Canada:

“I am a shortwave enthusiast up here in Churchill Manitoba Canada. ... I hope you continue to broadcast as we have one local MW station up here. I enjoy your broadcast when conditions are allowing. Will the programming times be different for my region? Will you cut down on power for your signal? Being an electrician I know the massive amounts of electricity it takes to run a large transmitter. I hope that in the future I will continue to be able to ‘tune you in’ in my radio shack. Cheers for now and keep up the good work.”

As for the broadcasting times, a new frequency schedule is in place as of tomorrow, February 1, and will be valid until the time change at the end of March. The frequency list will be available on our website www.radio.cz/en/static/about-radio-prague/frequencies, or if you don’t have access to the internet, you can send us a request and we will send it to you in a printed form.

On the subject of shortwave, Uday Nayak from India writes:

“Since my school years, I’ve had problems receiving you on my shortwave receiver. I think it was due to a poor and weak signal toward my region but now through the net, I can listen as well as read programs. But it doesn't mean shortwave listening is useless. Radio Prague should continue its broadcasting on shortwave. The men in authority should understand this and the world must take advantage of it. I would say that the economic crisis should not affect this field.”

Thank you again for your messages and we are truly happy that we will be able to keep reaching our worldwide audience on shortwave as well as via the internet.

Michael Matejka from somewhere in cyberspace sent us this question:

“Hello. I listen to every SoundCzech episode – they're quite helpful! Could you please tell me the name of the song featured in the latest episode? The song from which ‘svět naruby’ was taken. Thank you!”

As a matter of fact “Svět naruby” – or literally the world inside out happens to be the title of the song written some 70 years ago by the legendary trio Jan Werich, Jiří Voskovec and Jaroslav Ježek.

Time for one more comment; Lynda-Marie Hauptmann from the US responds to a recent news story:

“I read the article about how Czech women see doctors a lot more frequently than Czech men. Is it possible this is something cultural that needs to be examined in detail? My dad spent the last almost 30 years of his life here in the US, but mom and I had a fight on our hands, whenever he got sick, to go to the doctor. He had to almost literally be in need of an ambulance to get him there. Every time, it was the same old thing, ‘That quack doesn't know what he's talking about!’ even though dad would go to the library and look up information about whatever ailment he had to see the doctor about. If mom or I had so much as the sniffles, however, he would not hesitate to send us to a doctor because, ‘that's why I pay for medical insurance, to make sure you girls are okay!’"

Do you agree with Lynda-Marie or do you have a similar story? Please share it with us here on Radio Prague, the address is [email protected] or Radio Prague, 12099 Prague. Those are also the addresses for your answers to our listeners’ quiz question.

In February we are asking you to tell us the name of the 10th century Bohemian nobleman, priest, bishop and missionary who travelled around Europe and was killed while trying to spread Christianity in Prussia. He is the Patron saint of Bohemia but also Poland, Hungary and Prussia.

Your answers should reach us by the end of February. Today is the deadline for your answers to our January quiz whose results will be announced next week on this very programme. Until then, thanks for listening and take care.