Czech Radio Promotes Czech Culture Abroad
In 2011 Czech Radio offered abroad the total of 168 music programmes. This is possible thanks to the membership in the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which associates public service radios and mediates their mutual exchange of music programmes. Czech Radio has been among the most active members. Last year it became the fifth most active out of 87 contributors following such organisations as BBC and ORF.
European radios were therefore able to offer their listeners live recordings of Czech acoustic and electronic couple named DVA or 14 concerts from the Prague Spring International Music Festival. The range of genres is almost limitless and national radios can contribute to the system of the music exchange with various recordings of classical music, jazz, world, folk and rock music or experimental ars acustica.
“Thanks to the international music exchange within the EBU, Czech Radio fulfils one of its principal goals to nurture, enrich and disseminate the national culture abroad. The EBU international music exchange gives Czech Radio the opportunity to present Czech culture and the best current music events to wide foreign audience. At the same time the reciprocal sharing of programmes fulfils the principal of programme solidarity,“ says Czech Radio´s Director General, Mr. Peter Duhan. “With a little exaggeration, Czech music can reach millions of listeners if we consider the total number of the audience of the radios associated in the EBU,” Mr. Duhan remarks.
Czech Radio stations such as Czech Radio 3 – Vltava, Radio Wave, regional stations or Czech Radio 2 – Praha offer their music production to the EBU members and thereby strengthen the reputation of Czech culture abroad. Among the offers there are recordings and live transmissions of concerts from festivals and concert seasons in Prague and regional centres, dramaturgical treasures from the studio production or special music projects taking into account anniversaries of Czech composers.
Czech Radio 3 – Vltava intentionally promotes music by offering studio recordings where the opportunity is given to young performers. Last year, for example, the recordings of Anonín Dvořák´s compositions for violoncello and orchestra were offered. In October 2011, Vltava provided a live transmission of the premiere of Antonín Dvořák´s opera Jakobín. The concert has been broadcasted by 26 foreign stations out of which five broadcasted the performance live. Recording of the Czech Roma group Bachtale Apsa performing at the Khamoro festival was taken over by 9 stations, among them the Austrian broadcaster ORF or Portuguese public radio.
According to the Editor-in-Chief of CR 3 – Vltava, Mr. Lukáš Hurník, this is not just a service for listeners but also for the Czech concert art. “In the EBU network over one million of people listen to the best concerts of Czech Radio. The quality and quantity of our offers can compete with the musically richest European countries. It is clear that Czech musical art is still our first-rate export article and Czech Radio is its significant exporter.”
Radio Wave also promotes current Czech music of various genres abroad, as its Editor-in-Chief Tomáš Turek confirms: “On a long-term and regular basis we offer to the EBU recordings of our Radio Wave Live Sessions where we introduce the most interesting performers mainly from the independent scene. Last year the concert of the group DVA was exceptionally successful, therefore we nominated them to perform at the Eurosonic festival in the Netherlands as well.”
Thanks to the international collaboration, Czech Radio helps to realize special projects, including the recording of Moravian folk music for French music publisher Ocora. The CD serves as a valuable document of the folklore scene in the region and went not only into the hands of artists, but also music and ethnological institutions and is available to wide public too.
MgA. Jakub Čížek
Communications and External Relations Director
Czech Radio
Phone: +420 221 551 310