Mailbox
This week in Mailbox: listeners' response to the termination of Radio Prague's shortwave broadcasts. Listeners quoted: Allen Dean, Otto Schwartz, Sefrizal Arga, Tomasz Kos, Allan Loudell, Robert Berger, Ian Morrison, Gianluigi Naj, Bill Bergadano, Armin Gerstberger, Roger Tidy.
Allen Dean from England wrote:
“Earlier this month we learned that Radio Slovakia was leaving shortwave, and now it’s the turn of Radio Prague. Although I think this is a bad mistake, I fully understand why you are having to do it. Although I will be able to hear you via the internet, it won’t be as regularly as I do on shortwave, and I’m sure this applies to other listeners as well.”
Among them Otto Schwartz from the US who has been a listener for nearly half a century:
“Say it isn’t so! But I guess it is – since I heard it directly from you – you are ending your shortwave broadcasts on January 31st. As you can imagine, I’m disappointed and saddened by this, as my shortwave radio still is my only connection with other countries. I don’t have a computer and I don’t aim to get one. So I will no longer be able to listen to your programs.”
Sefrizal Arga from Indonesia wrote:
There is no special card I’m afraid but if you have a chance to listen over the internet, Radio Prague is going to keep verifying your reception reports with a brand new series of QSL cards this year.
Tomasz Kos from Poland says:
“I am sorry to hear that your station is leaving shortwave. Not just because of nostalgic reasons. The loss of interest with in proper radio broadcasting, even with the introduction of new and interesting tools such as DRM means fewer jobs for radio engineers – a specialty for which I have been studying and training hard for the last six years.
“Even though I do know these are hard times in economical terms, I cannot comprehend on what ground exactly radio stations decide that internet broadcasting will be of more use to the listeners. I know HF broadcasting is costly but after all it’s the broadcasting method that should go after the listeners, not the other way round. If the fun factor of using an alternative medium is eliminated, international broadcasting may become a dead art form, dominated by three or four corporate copy-paste players. A grim perspective indeed.”
Allan Loudell from the US wrote this:
Robert Berger wrote:
“Just because there are many broadcasters that have decided to self-destruct through the cancellation of their shortwave radio services does not mean the Czechs should join them in this world-wide-wired collective stupidity. I hope you will reconsider, as I am mostly modern in my technology, but know the value of some old, but tried and true mediums, such as analogue shortwave. To throw away the shortwave tool is to leave the ability of outsiders to hear your signal to the goodwill of surrounding nations.
“You are always talking about the Nazi Occupation of 1939-1945, the downfall of the Prague Spring, and finally the liberation of 1989. Are you going to tell your listeners that shortwave is unnecessary, because the Czechs are free again after a half century of being stepped on, aside from the Hapsburg attempts to suppress your culture? Is the world finally a safe place for the Czech lands, and its people? Will your neighbors, and other nations always allow the Czech message to get out to the rest of the world? Remember those days when hidden shortwave transmitters and radios in the hands of liberal people allowed your nation, and the international community know what was really going on in 1939, '42, '68, and '89 because some of your neighbors weren't so nice?
Ian Morrison is our regular listener in China:
“May I say that I was saddened to hear that Radio Prague will be leaving shortwave after more than seven decades. However, times change, new technologies become available and financial constraints mean that certain sacrifices have to be made. I'm just glad that Radio Prague will remain in existence and I can assure you that I will remain a regular listener and continue to submit reception reports regarding your Internet broadcasts. Here's hoping that Radio Prague can continue providing us a unique insight into the Czech Republic for many more years to come.”
Gianluigi Naj from Italy:
“Of course I'm very sad that the transmissions on shortwave will be closed on 31 January 2011. I'm 57 and I have been a listener of Radio Prague since 1974. This morning I listened to the program and I heard the confirmation of the close down. It's really a pity that another piece of history fades away.”
Bill Bergadano from New Jersey wrote:
Armin Gerstberger from California sent us this message along with his answer to last month’s quiz question:
“In all honesty, I would not have been able to pull up all of this information so quickly without the internet. It has become a great medium and tool in everyday life for billions of people, including thousands of Radio Prague listeners around the globe. That said, I understand and share the disappointment of those amongst our community who bemoan the loss of shortwave transmissions from Radio Prague starting February 2011, considering that there are people who simply do not have (regular) access to the internet or who are not used to tuning in to the radio via internet. Although I am likely among the younger half of your audience (born 1975), I myself did not utilize the internet extensively to listen to the radio for a long time despite the fact that I have had access to it since 1996.
“I would like to commend you on your commitment to issue QSL cards to your listeners, even if the medium is the internet. This is a nice gesture to your faithful (and probably more traditional) audience, and hopefully I'll send in my reception reports at some point too. During my younger (high school) years, starting in 1990, I received many QSL cards from Radio Prague featuring beautiful shots from Czechoslovakia and then the Czech Republic, and I still have this collection to this day as well as my membership diploma of the now disbanded Radio Prague Monitor Club. Too bad that the hectic life of making a living had pulled me away for too long...”
Roger Tidy from the UK wrote:
“I am one of your many listeners who have mainly listened to you on shortwave. For many reasons, I find shortwave more convenient than listening on the internet. For one thing, I have exclusive access to a shortwave radio but only have shared access to a computer, meaning that the time I can spend listening online is limited. Nevertheless, I will stay with Radio Prague, via the internet, as I hope many other shortwave listeners will do. I do hope, however, that the powers-that-be will not dismantle your shortwave facility but will 'mothball' it in case, in a better financial climate, it can be reactivated.”
Thank you very much for your letters and e-mails expressing support and concern. We apologize that we are unable to reply to all of them individually but all of them are read and appreciated. We’ll get back to some of your questions concerning the termination of shortwave broadcasts in next week’s Mailbox. Before I say good-bye today, here’s our listeners’ quiz question for January:
Our January mystery man was born in 1875 in Prague and died in 1926 in the Swiss city of Montreux. He is considered to be one of the most important German-language poets.
Please send us your answers by the end of January to [email protected] or Radio Prague, 12099 Prague, the Czech Republic. Until next week, bye-bye.
