Radio Slovakia’s German service is back on Shortwave

Radio Slovakia International’s (RSI) German service is back on shortwave. According to a notice on RSI’s website, the first German program from Bratislava was aired on Sunday at 14:30 UTC on 6140 kHz via Radio Onda’s Junglinster transmitter. On Monday at the same time, the RSI German program was announced by Radio Gloria staff (a daytime broadcaster via Radio Onda’s Junglinster facility in Luxemburg), plus the RSI contact data, apparently to make sure that reception reports and other correspondence will go right to RSI.

RSI’s half-hour program today (Monday) was followed by a 15-minutes’ program by Vatican Radio, also in German on 6140 kHz.

Radio Slovakia likely to air from Luxemburg

Radio Slovakia International’s German service is likely to return to shortwave on February 15 (Sunday), on 6140 kHz, in cooperation with Radio Onda in Luxemburg.

Source: RSI Mailbag Show on February 8, 2026.

STVR: “Currently not interested” in European Shortwave

The technical department at Slovak Radio and Television (STVR), the parent organisation of Radio Slovakia International, has notified RSI that STVR is "currently not interested" in shortwave transmissions within the European Union. One daily 6140 kHz transmission via Junglinster in Luxemburg may still be a faint possibility, but that, too, seems to be an RSI suggestion rather than an idea from the top. The good news remains that RSI will continue to produce (digital) audio content for European listeners in 2026. Earlier news or rumors had suggested otherwise.
Transmissions in English and Spanish via WRMI (schedule) and the United Arab Emirates (in Russian, on 5990 kHz and on 9820 kHz) are likely to continue.
Update:
It’s 9820 kHz instead of 5900 – thanks to Alex for the info.

#broadcasting #Europe #foreignRadio #RadioSlovakiaInternational #shortwave #Slovakia

Radio Slovakia Shortwave: no Decision yet

Originally, a decision or comment from Radio Slovakia International (RSI) management about future shortwave transmissions had been expected on December 19, but the story wears on (RSI German on December 28).
So the good news is that RSI programs will continue to be produced in 2026, with or without shortwave. That’s apparently true for all the station’s current languages, but that’s just my impression from what I heard.

The responsibility for deciding about shortwave transmissions was reportedly transferred to a newly-created technical department in 2024, so RSI itself is no longer in charge of making contracts with transmission sites (RSI German on November 9).

#BBC #broadcasting #Europe #foreignRadio #RadioSlovakiaInternational #shortwave #Slovakia

Shortwave for Europe still an Option at Radio Slovakia International

There are no plans at the top of Radio Slovakia International to end shortwave transmissions, according to the station’s German-service mailbag show. The director had told a meeting last week that she was having talks with the technical department about the transmission of the German service on shortwave. It was expected that offers that had been collected would now be studied, and a decision be taken within days. The results could be known by next Sunday.

#broadcasting #Europe #RadioSlovakiaInternational #shortwave #Slovakia

Radio Taiwan International’s 2026 QSL Card Series, Medium Wave Transmission from Göteborg, and other Radio News

Japan

Radio Japan’s Mandarin service continues to air an "AI-voiced" daily news bulletin, retransmitted several times a day. The French service news is still read naturally. The Mandarin bulletin can currently be heard rather well here in NW Germany, from 14:00 to 14:10 UTC on 9750 kHz. The news is followed by a Japanese language course.

Slovakia

Radio Slovakia International appears to be saved (that’s what "Wavescan" previews suggest), and chances are that WRMI will continue to carry RSI’s English and Spanish services. However, the German service is no longer broadcast on shortwave, as the Kall-Krekel transmitter site in Germany has apparently ceased operation on the two frequencies that used to carry RSI programs (3985 and 6005 kHz).

Sweden

Medium wave test transmissions are scheduled from the Radiomuseet in Göteborg, Sweden, on the December 20 and 21 weekend. Frequency: 981 kHz.

Taiwan

Radio Taiwan International has announced its 2026 QSL card series. All of the twelve monthly editions will feature drawings by a Japanese listener, made during a stay of his in Taiwan.

#mediumWave #NHK #QSLCards #RadioSlovakiaInternational #RadioTaiwanInternational #shortwave

Radio Slovakia International is important – Keep it up!

Update, December 18, 2025:
The transmitter in Kall-Krekel has reportedly ended transmissions on 3985 kHz and 6005 kHz half a month early. Only 6085 kHz is still on the air with programs by "Radio Amigo".
____________________________________________________________

Just e-mailed:

Dear Madam or Sir

I have learned with concern that Slovak Television and Radio plans to dismantle Radio Slovakia International.

Having been a listener for at least 15 years, especially to your German service, I owe them many insights into Slovak culture and your country’s economy, from general data to the significance of inland water transport. It is also great to listen to German tourists being interviewed by the English service. RSI plays in a particular radio league: it is a truly European station, from the heart of our continent.

It is true that such a service costs money, but I believe that it is worth every euro spent on it. Slovakia has become more visible on many people’s minds because of her international radio station.

From Christmas and Easter customs to castles, landscapes and narration, Radio Slovakia has kept us listeners both informed and curious about your country. Don’t flick it away. It is your country’s voice to the world.

Yours faithfully
Franz Bleeker
[postal address]

Sent to:

• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• cc: [email protected]

If you would like to mail cc to other language services, they are [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected].
Let’s stick up for Radio Slovakia International!

#Europe #languages #RadioSlovakiaInternational #shortwave #Slovakia #WRMI

An Uncertain Future for Radio Slovakia International

https://swling.com/blog/2025/10/an-uncertain-future-for-radio-slovakia-international/

#BestShortwaveRadioForBoat #InternationalBroadcasting #PaulJamet #RadioSlovakiaInternational

Writing Prompt: Stick Up for Radio Slovakia International

It appears that Radio Slovakia International could be shut down as soon as December 31st of this year,” Radio Slovakia’s Ladislava Hudzovicova has been quoted this week. “Wavescan” on Sunday is scheduled to provide further details. Addresses to write to and to make Slovak Radio management aware of how much the country’s foreign radio matters are also provided:

RSI is urging its listeners around the world to send letters of support to the management, in an effort to stop plans to dismantle the station, and to encourage management to continue RSI’s broadcasts. They are asking for your letters of support to be sent to three email addresses. You could send one message to all three addresses. And here are the email addresses:
The first one is: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
The second address is: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
And the third address is: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

Radio Slovakia International is still on the air – for now -, but apparently, the country’s central radio bureaucrats can’t see the value of these foreign-language programs from the heart of Europe.
Mysterious Slovakia, indeed.

#Europe #RadioSlovakiaInternational #shortwave #Slovakia #WRMI

Shortwaveservice Kall to Close Down (completely or mostly)

Shortwaveservice in Kall-Krekel (southern Northrhine-Westphalia) has announced an end to their transmissions with December 31 this year, reports radioblog.eu, quoting Ratzer’s A-DX mailing list. That is sure to be true for 3985 kHz and 6005 kHz (where so far, Radio Slovakia International can still be heard in English, French, German and Spanish), and possibly for 6085 kHz (where Radio Mi Amigo is on the air). 6085 kHz may continue, but that’s by no means sure either.

Kall operator Christian Milling is quoted as saying that costs for extending shortwave licences have risen from 1,500 euros per decade, to 4,000 euros per decade, because Germany’s department in charge of allocating frequencies, the Bundesnetzagentur (federal network agency) aportions the costs on the number of all existing fee payers. Without USAGM’s Lampertheim site and fewer transmissions by Media Broadcast, the costs per active shortwave broadcaster in Germany are rising accordingly.

Besides that, some media legislation is also said to have changed (apparently not to the advantage of active broadcasters).

In short: if we want another QSL card from Radio Slovakia International’s German service, we’d better hurry up. RSI in English and Spanish may remain available on WRMI shortwave in Okeechobee, Florida though.

#Germany #RadioSlovakiaInternational #shortwave #Slovakia #WRMI