Czech Radio Signs Cooperation Agreement with Radio and Television Slovakia
On 12 October 2022, in the headquarters of Czech Radio Olomouc, on the sidelines of the international festival of radio production, Prix Bohemia Radio, Czech Radio Director General René Zavoral and his counterpart from Radio and Television Slovakia, Ľuboš Machaj, signed a Cooperation Agreement to promote radio cooperation and cultural exchange between the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.
To promote radio cooperation and cultural exchange between the Czech and the Slovak Republic, Czech Radio and RTVS agreed, in the next three years, to develop bilateral relations as EBU members in the field of radio broadcasting. The parties further agreed to annually exchange musical ensembles and performers and hold joint concerts in the musical dramaturgy of programming services for young listeners.
“Cooperation between Czech Radio and RTVS has long been exceptional not only in terms of programming exchange and sharing of archive-based programmes, but also in terms of working on joint projects. I am of the view that for Czech listeners and especially the younger generation it is important to hear Slovak in our broadcasting given that the history of our countries and institutions has been inseparably interwoven. I believe we will continue furthering our common cultural heritage in the next year, in which Czech Radio and the former Czechoslovak Radio marks its centenary,” says Director General of Czech Radio, René Zavoral.
“Czech Radio has long been our closest partner and we agreed with the Director General to prepare more joint programmes next year so that Czech can be heard in Slovakia and Slovak can be heard in the Czech Republic. I myself worked fifteen years in the Czechoslovak Radio and I was a presenter of the ‘Zákruta’ programme, which was broadcasted in the Czech lands, too, and therefore I would be very glad if we could hark back to such programmes and show people that, despite being divided thirty years ago, we are still very close to each other,” adds Director General of Radio and Television Slovakia, Ľuboš Machaj.
In 2022, Czech Radio and RTVS worked on several joint projects, which went beyond programming exchange. For instance, in late August, stations Czech Radio Dvojka and RTVS Košice jointly broadcasted a programme titled “Vysílá Československý rozhlas, po 30 letech opět spolu!” (This is Czechoslovak Radio, After 30 Years Again Together!). September saw another joint project – joint broadcasting by Czech Radio Vltava and Radio Devín commemorating the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Vltava station. The Slovak cultural station Devín was launched at that time, too. Both stations went in the footsteps of the former joint station Czechoslovakia II.
The next joint project in the pipeline is the Czech Radio and RTVS Christmas Concert, which will be held in Havířov on Tuesday 6 December 2022. Czech performers include Ewa Farna and Albert Černý, the lead singer of Lake Malawi. Slovakia will be represented by a phenomenal musician Peter Lipa and a young female singer Teri Čikoš. Listeners from both countries can listen to the recording of the concert during the Christmas time.
Blanka Bumbálková
Head of Communication
tel.: 724 221 440
e-mail: blanka.bumbalkova@rozhlas.cz