Radio Prague's Monthly Quiz

Test your knowledge of things Czech!
On the first day of the month Radio
Prague will announce the month’s quiz
question on this site. At the end of
every month we will draw six winners
from the correct answers received.
Join our contest and win a Radio
Prague prize! Answers should be sent
to cr@radio.cz by the end of the month.
The winners will be featured on this site.

Question for April:

Which Czech or Czechoslovak films have won an Oscar?
The correct answer for March:

Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia

Winners:
Jürgen H. Schöne – Germany
Jonathan Murphy – Ireland
Natalie Perrault – France
Alejandro Ferrari Kobliha – Uruguay
Viktor Alekseevich Shulman – Russia
Jitka Erbenová - Czech Republic

QSLing the World - A How to Guide

QSLing the World - A How to Guide
Extracts from Radio Websites column by C Brand, First published
in Radio User Jan 2013
Another useful book out in 2012 was “QSLing the World - A How to
Guide” by Gayle Van Horn of the Monitoring Times .
Check the Shortwave Central blog for 16th November 2012 for
details or order through an online bookstore. She is an engaging
author who has written what is a valuable e-book for hobbyists. “a
comprehensive resource and reference e-book for any radio hobbyist
who is interested in acquiring a verification of reception from almost
any type of radio station, whether it is broadcast, utility, amateur
radio, satellites, or clandestine!
Along with QSLs, some radio hobbyists also collect station
memorabilia that may include such items as frisbees, bumper stickers,
pennants, decals, T-shirts, or anything associated with the station
logo, slogan or call sign.”

Pacific Isles to Mongolia at the turn of a dial

Pacific Isles to Mongolia at the turn of a dial...
“Amid all the gloomy news about shortwave cuts there is some good
news for us as regards to the Pacific Isles region.” writes Andrew
Kirby from Bournemouth.
He says that Vanuatu is expecting some new powerful shortwave
transmitters to arrive soon and that Tahiti is now back on 15170kHz.
New Caledonia can be heard on 7170kHz and also Kiribati is on
9825kHz with a more powerful transmitter. Andrew comments that
the Pacific Islands are an ideal area of the world for shortwave with
one frequency reaching across hundreds of miles of blue sea. “Nothing
fancy, just turning on your radio while relaxing on a beautiful desert
isle.”
Andrew has picked up Rangoon in Myanmar (or Burma) on
5985.85kHz at 1600 UTC with a sign off at 1630 UTC and a signal
strength of two. Equally exotic is Ulaan Baator in Mongolia heard on
12085khz (a frequency it has used for decades) at 0900 UTC. A signal
strength of three and a sign on with “chimes like Radio Beijing used to
have 15 years ago.”
Extract from my monthly column in Radio User

BBC Top of the Pops alive and well on shortwave

BBC Top of the Pops alive and well on shortwave...
I hear and read of people bemoaning the BBC World Service’s lack of
entertainment programmes these days, but if you tune to their service
for Central Africa on Saturday nights you will hear the BBC Top of the
Pops programme, presented by Kim Robson. It is strange to hear an
old format with the names and sounds of today's pop music scene, but
lovely to hear on shortwave. My favourite feature of the show by far
is when they look at the charts in another country, such as Brazil or
Ecuador. Try their 12095kHz frequency from 2130 UTC.

Shortwave Heaven website

Shortwave Heaven website
Alex Terrace writes with information on his Shortwave Heaven
website with charts for listening to short wave in NW Europe.
"Short wave radio has been around for a long time. It is a wonderfully
reassuring feeling when far from home to listen to a familiar voice on
a short wave radio. Sadly, short wave reception is increasingly
difficult for people touring France, Germany and the rest of Europe.
BBC World Service signals are now aimed only at Africa, Middle East
and Asia.
But - if the skies are merciful - you can still hear the BBC bouncing off
the ionosphere from somewhere distant. And China Radio
International gives you a powerful signal, proudly telling listeners
they will never give up on short wave. So don't ditch the short wave
radio, polish it off and get tuning! It can be difficult to know what to
look for. But these charts make listening quick and easy. This tells you
everything heard in north west Europe in English."

Czechnology, Radio Prague

Czechnology, Radio Prague
Extract from my March 2013 LM&S Broadcast Matters column in Radio
User
From Leicestershire Denis Ironman has been in touch reminiscing on
his favourite station Radio Prague. He visited their studios in the then
Czechoslovakia in 1972 and 1976 where he was interviewed by the a
female presenter by the name of Eva. Denis kindly sent me a Radio
Prague fridge magnet, which complements the mini retro radio the
station sent me last year for winning one of their monthly
competitions.
I plucked out the following section from the Radio Prague "On The Air"
book which was published for their 65th anniversary. this section
looks back at their 1970s heyday. “1972 saw the creation of Radio
Prague Interprogram - a specialised multi-language programme aimed
at Western Europe. The programme consisted of five hours of music,
interrupted every 15 minutes by news in Czech/Slovak, German,
French and English. Later the programme was extended and news in
Russian added. Interprogram broadcast on short and medium wave,
and from 1976 also on FM, so it was also easy to pick up inside
Czechoslovakia. Because of its heavy music content, many
Czechoslovaks listened as well, even though Interprogram was
intended mainly for foreigners.”
Today the station broadcasts daily in English online and still issues
QSL cards for reception reports. It seems somewhat bizarre to receive
a QSL card from a station you hear online, but it’s a nice touch with
their history. The 2013 series of eight QSL cards feature black and
white photos of classic Czechoslovak aircraft. Starting with the 1911
JK-system Blériot aeroplane and the Bohemia B-5 which in 1919
became the first aircraft built in the newly established Czechoslovakia,
and coming up to date over 100 years later with the L-410 Turbolet.
This is currently the most commonly used Czechoslovak-made
transport plane and is especially popular in Africa and South America.
Radio Prague is actually relayed on shortwave via WRMI (World Radio
Miami International) on 9955kHz at 1000 UTC (Mondays to Saturdays).
Although it's a poor substitute you do often hear Radio Prague’s Rob
Cameron also reporting for the BBC World Service on Czech matters.

My head's in the Mixcloud

My head's in the Mixcloud
Extracts from my March 2013 Radio Websites column for Radio User
I subscribe to many different channels on Mixcloud and I’d like to
think my choices are wide ranging and eclectic. Here’s some of what I
have been listening to over the past month. Why not be brave and
take the plunge with me into some new genres, ideas and sounds?
I enjoyed DJ Ravemasters’ Renaissance mix, presented and produced
by Brioni Faith. Brioni’s music is all about big atmosphere and up-
tempo beats. Her vocals create an intimacy with the listener; inviting
you into her world, while the music is uplifting and inspiring. The mix
itself is at www.mixcloud.com/Trance_Mix/dj-ravemaster-renaissance/
with links to Brioni at www.brionifaith.com and www.facebook.com/
brionifaith.music In their own words they “decided to entitle this mix
as Renaissance because of this new age, this new world we are
shifting into. Many are calling it the golden age, as we go through this
apocalypse. I use apocalypse in its original meaning, to uncover, to
reveal, to become more aware.“
Also at http://TranceMix.org
For something completely different how about the Eat My Mind Radio
Show, a two hour bonanza every Monday at 7 p.m. on Manchester
community radio station NFM 106.6 or whenever you want it via
www.mixcloud.com/EatMyMindRadioShow Entertainer X plays a blend
of “Out there TV and movie themes, kitsch, incidental music, organs in
orbit, mondo, exotica. We embrace the criminally ignored and the
ignorantly reviled. We salute the men and women of the musical
world that blew their minds and continue to blow ours.”
How about a Headphone Commute? That’s the name of a channel
playing modern classical, dark ambient, cinematic and film music. It’s
also an online magazine. http://reviews.headphonecommute.com/ You
can subscribe to their mix tapes or podcasts at Mixcloud and also
listen at www.mixcloud.com/HeadphoneCommute/
Or you may be in the mood for a cloudcast from Jazz Cat? This is an
intriguing mix of styles including a programme concentrating to
modern jazz from Italy, and a marvellous series called Lost and
Found. www.mixcloud.com/maxvibes/
John Faulkner has a regular programme which is an eclectic mix
where he brilliantly mixes comedy snippets with music. the end result
is called All Mixed Up at www.mixcloud.com/John_Faulkner/ That put
me in a lively frame of mind so I then moved onto further banish the
winter blues with West Coast Sailing. They play a mix of " super
smooth West coast crust." It put me in the mood for a holiday on the
west coast of the USA. www.mixcloud.com/saladsoundsystem/west-
coast-salad/
If you want something different to hear then London station
Resonance FM has ever inventive and quirky recordings. It's been
successfully running as an FM station on 104.4 on London, and online
since way back in 2002. It "features programmes made by musicians,
artists and critics who represent the diversity of London’s arts scenes,
with regular weekly contributions from nearly two hundred
musicians, artists, thinkers, critics, activists and instigators; plus
numerous unique broadcasts by artists on the weekday Clear Spot."
you can follow Resonance FM at www.mixcloud.com/Resonance/

Spanish Three Cornered Hat

Radio Exterior de España currently has an hour long broadcast on
Saturday and Sunday evenings from 2200 UTC on 6125kHz (in addition
to their weekday programme slot of 1900 to 2000 UTC on 9605 and
9665kHz and 0000 to 0100 UTC on 6055kHz ).
Unusually for an international broadcaster the interval signal,
followed by the time pips, does not always lead to a top of the hour
news bulletin. Instead it has been known to launch straight into a
feature programme.
I enjoyed the music of (and interview with) Spaniard Marcus Cole, a
Madrid-based harmonica player who was well known in his own right
but who also toured with The Rolling Stones’ Mick Taylor and Jimi
Hendrix Experience’s drummer Buddy Miles. Radio Exterior de España
also have a new English language programme for 2013.
It is called The Three Cornered Hat where presenters don their
“respective hats to bring you news of developments of particular
interest to each of the three members of the English-language team,
Frank Smith, Alison Hughes and Justin Coe. It touches on politics, the
economy, sports, and music.” Email the station at ree.rne@rtve.es

Radio White Russia

Radio White Russia
Howard Barnett has asked me for information on Radio Belarus'
schedule and programmes. They use just the two shortwave
frequencies for all of their language services. The transmitter switches
in at 1100 UTC and runs through to 2300 UTC on 11730kHz, while
6155kHz is on from 1705 and also stays on air until 2300 UTC. English
is from 2100-2200 (from 2020 UTC at weekends). My favourite
programme is probably Music box, which plays a mix of modern and
folk music every Monday. Postcard from Belarus is an interesting
historical and tourism programme and Unlimited Nature explores the
wildlife and countryside.
Schedules change 31 March.

Cue Kuwait...

Another station to tune for is Radio Kuwait's English language service.
They produce a programme we can hear in Europe and North America
on 15540kHz from 1800 to 2100 UTC.
A whole three hour segment in English from an international
broadcaster is always a rare treat, and programmes include news and
thoughts on Islam. Most interesting for me are the Today in History
features, The Press Today and the various music the station plays.
Richard Cooke tells me he got a huge bundle of items from Radio
Kuwait including an impressive looking QSL card resplendent with
logos, buildings and some important looking Arab gentlemen wearing
their traditional headdress. The email address given on their current
programme schedule is kwtfreq@media.gov.kw or if you prefer snail
mail the postal address is Radio Kuwait, PO Box 967, Safat, 13010,
Kuwait.

Mali malaise?

Listen out too for radio from Mali, a country very much in the
spotlight for the wrong reasons as I write. If your French is up to it
you may well be able to catch their news.
If not, than the Malian music played on ORTM from Bamako is
wonderful anyway. Long may it last! 5995kHz is the frequency to try.