Mailbox

Today in Mailbox: Radio Prague’s new website, shortwave reception in Australia and New Zealand, response from listeners in Canada and the US, Václav Klaus’s new book on climate change, message for George Scott from England from Frank Muzika. Listeners quoted: Bob Boundy, Charles Konecny, Shelagh Webster, Thomas and Carolyn Atkinson, Barrie Van Devender, Frank Muzika.

Hello and welcome to Mailbox. Thank you very much for your comments on our new website that are still coming in. This is what Bob Boundy from New Zealand writes:

“Congratulations on the new website. It is fantastic. It was a surprise as I look at the [Radio Prague pages] every day and up popped the new website. I am still finding reception very bad but perhaps it will get better once our daylight saving starts in October as I really prefer listening to the radio down here. I’m wondering if anyone else down in our area is experiencing the same reception problems as me?”

We here at Radio Prague are wondering as well. If you are listening in New Zealand or Australia, please do let us know what reception in your area is like. You can send a regular reception report or click on “Confirmation of Reception” in the right hand side column on our home page and fill in a simple form. Or you can just drop us a couple of lines stating where you listen and what the quality of the signal is. Many thanks in advance – we will really appreciate the information.

Staying with shortwave radio, Charles Konecny from Ohio writes:

“I promise to get my short wave receiver out and see if I can tune your broadcast in. I used to use it quite often and I want to get back to using it again. [Also] I took a Google Earth tour of Říp Mountain from your recent article and found it very interesting.”

That sounds like a brilliant idea. As my plan to go on a daytrip to the mountain this summer didn’t work out, I might try a virtual tour instead.

We are always happy to hear from our Canadian listeners who tune in to our programmes on FM in the middle of the night. Among them Shelagh Webster:

“I really enjoy your radio programme, which I often listen to on CBC Radio Overnight here in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.”

Thomas and Carolyn Atkinson listen to the same broadcasts:

Charles Bridge

“My wife and I are constant listeners to your program on the CBC/Overnight broadcast. You have talked frequently about the city of Prague its beauty and its historical heritage that we have decided to come and see for ourselves. We are leaving on the 2nd of October from Charlottetown Prince Edward Island and arriving in Budapest Hungary on the 3rd of October however we shall be spending three days in the city of Prague at the end of our riverboat cruise which we both very excited upon looking forward to it. Upon our return to Canada we will let you know how we made out.”

Please do. We’ll be interested to know whether Prague has lived up to your expectations. Barrie Van Devender from Phoenix, Arizona commented on the release of Václav Klaus’s new book targeting environmentalists and politicians with regard to climate change:

“Popular opinion is often exactly wrong on key subjects. The term ‘denier’ and the discussion regarding supposed ‘majority opinion’ certainly tries to create the impression that Mr. Klaus' thesis is somehow ridiculous. I'm sure that in fact, his presentation highlights that human activity accounts for less than half of green house gas emissions, and that of what is attributed to human activity, most of it, including emissions from China (the largest greenhouse gas emitter, as well as the world's most reckless polluter) is not going to be influenced by world opinion. Moreover, those who are employed in promoting the popular opinion, and in particular the scientists studying the topic, are specifically financed and employed by entities that will benefit by the acceptance of their thesis.”

Thank you for all your comments and opinions and please keep them coming. Before we get to our monthly quiz question, we have a message for Mr. George Scott from England who wrote in to Radio Prague earlier this year to comment on an article on the Czech WWII paratroopers. Frank Muzika, also from England, would like to get in touch with Mr. Scott:

“As the son of a Czech Spitfire pilot in WW2 for the RAF, now buried in the Brookwood Cemetery of which George speaks, I am extremely keen to get in touch with him. Thank you so much for your help.”

If Mr. George Scott is listening to this programme or reading this article and would like to contact Mr. Muzika, please drop us a line to [email protected] and we will put you through.

Now quickly, our monthly quiz question:

This time we’d like you to tell us the name of the woman who was born in Prague in 1896 and together with two other colleagues won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1947.

Please send us your answers by the end of September. The address is Radio Prague 12099 Prague or [email protected]. Until next week, happy listening.