Czech Radio’s project, Charles Is a Hell of a King!, among the finalists of the Rose d’Or competition
Czech Radio’s project entitled, Charles is King!, has succeeded in the international competition Rose d’Or, qualifying as one of three finalists in the category of comedy. It is the first time in history that Czech Radio has been shortlisted for the final round by the competition’s jury and notably alongside two other projects both BBC-produced programmes. In a rather unconventional way, Charles Is a Hell of a King!, marks the seven hundredth anniversary of Charles IV’s birth.
“Czech Radio’s success in the Rose d’Or competition is wonderful news. The project’s aim was to commemorate, in a playful yet informative way, the anniversary of Charles IV’s birth. The nomination has confirmed that we’ve set out in the right direction and that our endeavour has been fruitful by proving that Czech Radio is able to successfully compete with major international broadcasters,” said Czech Radio’s Director General, René Zavoral.
The annual Rose d’Or competition organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) brings together about 130 projects produced by media houses from over three dozen countries from across the globe. The final winner in the comedy category will be announced during the award ceremony on 13 September in Berlin.
“We’re excited about the awards in September as we will be vying for this award along with two popular shows produced by the BBC. We are in good company and have secured our position as a creative innovator,” concluded the project’s creative producer, Markéta Kaňková.
The project took approximately a year to produce. It also includes a multimedia interactive website presenting unique audio-formats, videos, authentic historical texts and entertaining mystifications.
Charles Is a Hell of a King! also features many distinctive figures from the Czech cultural and media scene, including popular TV presenters Václav Moravec and Michaela Jílková, director and actor Miroslav Krobot and actors Vojtěch Dyk, Jaroslav Plesl and David Prachař, who was cast in the role of Charles IV. Selected episodes were directed by this year’s multiple laureate of the Czech Lion Awards, Jan Prušinovský.
Among the project’s participants were also students of Charles University, young historians, prominent Czech writers, visual artists and light graffiti artists. One of its flagship events was a birthday celebration in the Letná Park held exactly to the day of this grand ruler’s seven hundredth birthday – the fourteenth of May.
Jiří Hošna
Spokesperson
Tel: 725 793 397
E-mail: jiri.hosna@rozhlas.cz