Broadcast Archive

History of Radio Prague

 
Karel Capek (first left)and Frantiek Krizik (seated) at the time of the peace message broadcasts Karel Capek (first left)and Frantiek Krizik (seated) at the time of the peace message broadcasts Tanks burning outside the Czechoslovak Radio building, August 1968 Tanks burning outside the Czechoslovak Radio building, August 1968 Radio Prague studio Radio Prague studio
 

A word of introduction

Seventy years is a long time in the life of a radio station. Several generations have come and gone and the years have seen many changes, some of them dramatic. Much too has been forgotten. So Radio Prague's 70th anniversary provides a good opportunity to look back at our history. There are times of which we can be proud, and times we would rather forget. But that, of course, is history. Miroslav KrupičkaMiroslav Krupička

You might think that the archives would make it quite easy to recreate the history of Radio Prague. Far from it. The archives are incomplete and poorly classified, and a number of facts had to be confirmed by personal memories. Special thanks go to those who remember our pre-war shortwave broadcasts - Bozena Danesova-Trojanova, who lives in Prague, Helena Kronska-Stepanova, who lives in Germany, and Ivan Jelinek, who lives in the United Kingdom, and who provided us with some rare memories. I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank current and former colleagues both from Radio Prague and Czech Radio who contributed to recreating many lost moments in the station's history. People say that one has to understand the past in order to predict the future. Radio Prague's past suggests that the station is strong enough to overcome just about any obstacle history can throw at it and will continue to survive the test of time. Radio Prague does not aspire to become a global source of information about everything and for everybody. It will remain a small station, providing the world with the latest information about political, economic and cultural affairs in the Czech Republic. It will remain the "Voice of the Czech Republic" around the world, and that is important. It is useful to know that you can hear the latest news from Prague even in some of the most distant corners of the globe. And all you need is a radio! The technology of listening is certainly changing, but the radio as a medium will always find new listeners. I'm firmly convinced that Radio Prague will continue to find listeners in the future.