Radio Prague International marks 90 years of global broadcasting history

Radio Prague International, the foreign broadcasting service of Czech Radio, is celebrating 90 years of informing the world. While content is now primarily delivered via the internet, the station's history was defined by the technical achievement of shortwave radio. Using frequencies that reflect off the ionosphere, the station's signals from transmitters in Poděbrady were able to reach listeners across oceans, including North and South America, Africa, and Cuba.

The service fostered a unique global connection, creating a dialogue between Prague and international audiences. This relationship was evidenced by a massive volume of listener correspondence and gifts, ranging from Cuban cigars to a tiger skin sent to announcer Zdeňka Walló. Former employees and historians recall the era as a time when radio acted as an invisible bridge, connecting disparate parts of the world through music and news.