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Today in Mailbox we read from our listeners’ comments on Radio Prague’s 75th anniversary and reveal the identity of our August mystery lady. Listeners quoted: Tracy Andreotti, Harold Yeglin, Stan Schmitt, Colin Law, Hans Verner Lollike, Mary Lou Krenek, Ian Morrison, Richard Chen, Charles Konecny, Henrik Klemetz, Jayanta Chakrabarty, David Eldridge.

Radio Prague is celebrating its 75th birthday. The country’s foreign service was established in 1936 at the instigation of the Czechoslovak Foreign Ministry and first went on air on August 31st of the same year. Although severe budget cuts led to the termination of the station’s shortwave broadcasts as of this year, Radio Prague is still providing listeners with daily news, current affairs and reports about the Czech Republic with its main platform now the Internet. The station broadcasts daily half-hours on satellite in six languages and offers podcasting and reception via mobile phone.

Set up in 1936 primarily as a tool to counter propaganda from Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, Radio Prague itself long served as a mouthpiece for communist propaganda. Since the 1990s however, the station is the only Czech public news service, providing information about the Czech Republic in six languages to audiences around the world. Marking Radio Prague’s 75th anniversary, the Czech-born, UK-based writer, and former Radio Prague reporter Benjamin Kuras and Radio Prague’s own David Vaughan discuss the most interesting moments in the station’s

In the 75 years of its existence, Radio Prague has seen many changes – among them, unfortunately, the end of our shortwave broadcasts. On Wednesday, the station presented some of its programs live from a tent in the heart of the city, in an effort to propagate the international service locally. Sarah Borufka was at the site and spoke to Miroslav Krupička, who has served as Radio Prague’s director since 1998. She asked him about the important changes he had witnessed over the years.

Seventy five years ago today, at 10 AM on August 31, 1936, the foreign service of Czechoslovak Radio went on air for the first time ever. Today, Radio Prague is an independent broadcaster although it is still funded entirely by the Czech Foreign Ministry. Following severe budget cuts in recent years, some good news came on Wednesday from the Foreign Ministry which promises no further cuts for 2012. Radio Prague spoke to the head of the ministry’s public diplomacy department, Jan Bondy.

Of course, Radio Prague would not have turned 75 if it wasn’t for our loyal listeners. We would like to thank you for your support and interest over the years, and for the many anniversary emails you have sent in. On the occasion of our 75th anniversary, we did something we usually don’t do – we called some of our listeners from around the world. Here’s one of them, Stan Schmidt. He listens to Radio Prague from Evansville, Indiana, in the United States.

Today in Mailbox: Radio Prague's 75th anniversary, Czech officials' response to the Prague Pride gay and lesbian festival, problems with receiving Radio Prague e-news. Listeners/readers quoted: Karin Roos, Frank Miata, Karl G. Smith, Colin Law, Matt and Amy Smith, Bill Bergadano, Siegfried Rambaum.

Le Monde correspondent Fabrice Martin-Plichta has been living in Prague since before the Velvet Revolution. Indeed, the French journalist was working here at Radio Prague when those momentous changes occurred. Since 2004, Martin-Plichta has also been the head of the Czech Federation of Food Banks, an organisation which every year saves hundreds of tonnes of food from being destroyed and distributes it among the needy.

Today in Mailbox: Some more reactions to the end of shortwave broadcasts, "propaganda" on Radio Prague, last month's mystery Czech and a brand new quiz question. Listeners quoted: Mohamed Elsayed Abd Elraheim, Jim Mickeal, Richard Howard, Mogire Machuki, David Eldridge, Michael A. Daley, Bob Boundy, Hiroyuki Okada, Hans Verner Lollike, Colin Law, Charles Konecny.

Today in Mailbox: More responses to the end of shortwave broadcasts, Sunday music programmes on Radio Prague, objections to the contents of Radio Prague's broadcasts. Listeners quoted: Jayanta Chakrabarty, Bob Boundy, Stephen Hrebenach, John Covington, Mark Winterton.