Tag Archives: Radio Slovakia International

Radio Slovakia International celebrates 25th anniversary

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia (LW4DAF), who shares the following news from Radio Slovakia International:

RSI addressed by President

On Thursday, RSI celebrated 25 years of its existence at a special event. Besides welcoming the newly appointed Culture Minister ?ubica Laššáková, the Education Minister Martina Lubyová, the US Ambassador Adam Sterling, the Russian Ambassador Alexej Fedotov, other diplomats and representatives of RTVS, the editorial team was also addressed by the Slovak President Andrej Kiska.

At the beginning of his video speech, Andrej Kiska congratulated the team on their 25 years of broadcasting abroad. He underscored the role of public service radio at a time when there is an array of questionable and doubtful sources of information. “A public service radio which is – quite rightly – subject to public control; which verifies the sources of its information. A public radio whose editorial team can be sure of their information.” Said the President, adding that the issue of freedom of speech and its limits is a big subject of debate globally. “But it is also a key factor because … it is not only those of our citizens who may find themselves for a certain time outside Slovakia’s borders, who live or work abroad, who deserve verified and truthful information. Our fellow Slovaks living abroad also deserve it. And in fact everyone who takes an interest in what is happening in Slovakia or Central Europe and wants to find out more deserves it”, concluded Andrej Kiska.

On the occasion of the 25 years since the launch of the independent foreign broadcast by the public Slovak Radio, Radio Slovakia International was also addressed by the Foreign Minister Miroslav Laj?ák: ” 37 years ago, Music TV aired the hit “Video kills the radio stars”. I am very happy today that this black vision has not come true and radio was, is and will be.” The Foreign Minister continued with a remark on the important anniversaries to be remembered in 2018. To the centenary of the former Czechoslovakia, 50 years since the Prague spring and 25 years of an independent Slovak Republic, Miroslav Laj?ák added 25 years of the Slovak Radio foreign service.

According to the the RTVS General Director, Jaroslav Rezník, broadcasting abroad should be part of the fully-fledged portfolio of every public media. Back in 1993, Radio Slovakia International informed about the establishment of the new country, later on about its transformation and success story. Today, RSI represents the primary source of relevant information about Slovakia on the internet, too. In his speech given on the occasion of its 25th birthday, Jaroslav Rezník called RSI the media foreign affairs ministry. “I am very happy that today I can meet people who were at the beginning as well as those who today are preparing broadcasts not only for RSI but also for the Slovak Radio as a proud and patriotic company”, said the current RTVS General Director.

Click here to read at Radio Slovakia International.

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Radio Slovakia International asks, “Why is shortwave radio still alive?”

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Many thanks to a number of SWLing Post readers who shared a link to this article via Radio Slovakia International:

Why is shortwave radio still alive?

If you use the internet to listen to streaming audio and podcasts, you could be forgiven for assuming there’s no need for shortwave radio any more. It seems many broadcasters appear to agree, with stations dropping their shortwave services year after year.

But not so fast. Shortwave’s not dead, say its proponents. Rather, it’s in a state of transformation. Not only does it still provide a vital service for the many millions of individuals worldwide who don’t have access to the internet, but this medium also has a certain ‘magic’ which, we discovered, is very hard for its fans to explain.

In this entertaining, full-length feature, Gavin Shoebridge asked shortwave listeners from across the globe to explain why they still use the service, why they don’t ‘go digital’, and where they think shortwave will be in the coming years.

Click here to download the MP3 audio.

Click here to read and listen via Radio Slovakia International.

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Shortwave Radio Recordings: Radio Slovakia

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For your listening pleasure: the English language service of Radio Slovakia–recorded on January 23, 2015 at 1230 UTC on 9,955 kHz.

This broadcast of Radio Slovakia comes by way of the World Radio Network and is relayed by Radio Miami International (WRMI).

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

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Radio 700 brings international broadcasters back to shortwave

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Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Knut, who recently informed me that the German language services of Radio Slovakia International, Radio Prague, Radio Ukraine International and the Polish Radio External Service are being relayed on shortwave radio, via Radio 700 in Euskirchen, Germany.

All broadcasts are on 3985 kHz and are transmitted daily (with 1 kW), beginning at 19:30 UTC.

Monday-Sunday 1930-2000 UTC: Radio Slovakia International (German)
Monday-Sunday 2000-2030 UTC: Radio Prague (German)
Monday-Sunday 2030-2100 UTC: Foreign Service of Polish Radio (German)
Monday-Sunday 2100-2200 UTC: Radio Ukraine International (German)

At one thousands watts, on 3,985 kHz, this will be challenging DX outside of Europe. Still, I love the fact that independent broadcasters (like Radio 700, WRMI, WBCQ, etc.) make shortwave broadcasting affordable for many of these international broadcasters.

Knut originally learned about these relays through the German radio blog, DX Aktuell.

Check out Radio 700’s full broadcast schedule by clicking here.

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Radio Slovakia International wishes to resume shortwave service

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Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Dominik, who points us to the National Association of Shortwave Broadcasters’ latest newsletter, which mentions Radio Slovakia International’s intentions to, once again, broadcast on shortwave from Slovakia.

“The NASB organized the B13 Conference in cooperation with Radio and Television Slovakia (RTVS) and its international service, Radio Slovakia International (RSI). RSI stopped broadcasting on shortwave from Slovakia at the end of 2010, but NASB member WRMI in Miami has continued to relay the station’s English and Spanish broadcasts to the Americas since January of 2011. And RSI would like to resume shortwave broadcasts from Slovakia in the near future if funding can be restored.”

The NASB newsletter summarizes the full B13 HFCC Conference. The following is an excerpt from the NASB Newsletter newsletter, featuring Maria Mikusova, Chief of Radio Slovakia International:

[…]Tuesday morning, August 27, the HFCC Conference began with some words of welcome from Maria Mikusova, Chief of Radio Slovakia International. “As the General Director of Radio and Television Slovakia pointed out yesterday,” she said, “the fact that this conference is taking place in Bratislava is a great inspiration and impulse for us. It broadens the horizons of us — journalists and professionals from the foreign broadcast of Radio Slovakia International, on behalf of whom I’d like to welcome you to Bratislava as well.”

Mrs. Mikusova noted that RSI has received feedback from listeners in 130 countries. “The core of this feedback,” she said, “comes from broadcasting our programs via short waves. We left shortwave broadcasting only recently, at the beginning of the year 2011, and not fully.” She noted that RSI remains on shortwave via WRMI in the Americas.

Mrs. Mikusova said that RSI is busy developing a new website. “In regards to the variety of languages we broadcast in, you can listen to RSI in six languages, which is the same number as Radio Prague, our Czech colleagues and closest partners, broadcast in. This says a lot about the power of tradition and our efforts and ability to preserve this kind of a broadcast at a time of such a vast choice of communication channels opening on the internet and social networks.”

Mikusova said that RSI still receives good listener feedback from areas such as Russia, and the station still sends QSL cards to listeners. “We consider this to be a very important form of communicating with our listeners, although we know that QSLs are traditionally a shortwave communication.”

“Let me wish all the best to this coordination meeting,” she continued. “Your conference allows us to get to know better your work, and makes us feel that we are still part of the world network of shortwavers. For us, this conference is a firsthand, live encounter with the shortwave network and its significance for broadcasting. But at the same time it unveils what strategies of radio broadcasting and shortwave transmission are out there in the modern world. After all, the outlook and future strategy of Radio and Television of Slovakia is to bring RSI back to shortwave broadcasting. Although this issue has not been resolved yet, it shows just how important the HFCC Conference in Bratislava is, and why we, RSI, are so very interested in it.”

Dominik also pointed to the HFCC schedule where RSI already has a slate of broadcasts listed from the RSI Rimavska Sobota transmitter site: