Mailbox

Today in Mailbox: DRM broadcasting; annual listeners’ contest. Listeners quoted: Gary Roper, Christopher Lewis.

Hello and welcome to Mailbox, Radio Prague’s weekly listeners’ letters programme.

Two weeks ago in Mailbox we discussed the topic of digital shortwave broadcasting, raised by Gary Roper from North Carolina. In the meantime, Gary sent us another e-mail on the subject:

“I listen to your SW broadcasts regularly and enjoy them very much. As for DRM, everything I hear about it is good. However, there seem to be at least two critical problems. One is that DRM is not really being promoted. It exists, but I have the impression that certain individuals in the radio broadcast field just wish it would go away. The obvious trend in recent years, in my opinion, is to bring conventional SW broadcasting to an end sometime in the future. I could be wrong in my assumption, but I really don't see much enthusiasm for the DRM medium at all. The second critical problem is the virtual lack of DRM receivers, as well as no enthusiasm for producing one. This could lead to the end of DRM broadcasting in the immediate future. But I don't really see a replacement for DRM. It is almost as though it is doomed to fail for a number of reasons; most likely for financial reasons. Anyway, keep up the great work at Radio Prague. And I'll just keep my fingers crossed that shortwave broadcasting will survive.”

Thank you and we certainly hope so, too. Christopher Lewis from the UK heard the broadcast two weeks ago as well, and had this to say on the topic:

“For a long time, I had been curious about DRM, and had the opportunity in 2003 or thereabouts to hear a demonstration of DRM at a European DX council meeting in Germany. I was impressed, and so got a Morphy Richards DRM 27024 receiver (the one illustrated in Radio Prague's program schedule a year ago or so). This receiver is no longer made, but it is a good one. I have had no success in listening to Radio Prague in DRM, although I have tried. In my opinion Radio Prague should use a transmitter located in Germany or elsewhere, if they want to target English language audience, for example, in the UK and Ireland. The signal from the UK transmitter is totally missing us and going to mainland Europe. Please move the DRM transmissions from the UK transmitter to a German transmitter, where reception will be better.”

Czech Radio’s shortwave expert Oldřich Číp tells me that Czech Radio is fully aware of the skip zone problem with the DRM relay service from Woofferton. The DRM relay transmission is also in German – on the same frequency in an adjacent time-slot, and the wanted target area is mainland Europe where English is the second language for many listeners. An alternative transmitter location in Germany would miss a large area and a number of countries. So the current situation is a result of a certain compromise.

What is your experience with DRM broadcasts? How and where do you listen to Radio Prague? Please let us know; there is a beautiful series of QSL cards waiting to be sent to you in exchange for your reception reports.

Let me also remind you that you have less than two weeks to send us your entries in Radio Prague’s annual listeners’ contest. All you need to do is write a few lines on the following subject:

What is the most interesting period or event from Czech history for you?

The author of the best submission will win a week-long stay for two in Prague; other interesting responses will be rewarded with material prizes and commemorative items. We will be announcing the best entries in our broadcast and on our website on the last weekend of June. Please send your submissions in by June 12 to the following address: Radio Prague, 120 99 Prague 2, Czech Republic or to our email address [email protected]. The main prize, accommodation in the heart of Prague, will be provided by Hotel Ungelt.

Today happens to be the deadline for your answers to our monthly quiz question, but you still have a few hours to e-mail us the name of the world-renowned physicist who was born in Brno in 1905 and died in 1955 in Zurich and apparently was the only Czech-born person involved in the US WWII Manhattan Project.

The address is [email protected]. If you’d like to send us a reception report or comment on our broadcasts, you can use the same e-mail address. The postal address is Radio Prague, 12099 Prague. Next week in Mailbox, you’ll find out the correct answer to the May quiz question and the names of the four winners who will be sent small gifts. Of course, there will be a brand new quiz question for you. Thanks for listening today and until next week, happy listening.