10/28/2025
Radio Slovakia International has broadcast programs on shortwave since the founding of the Slovak Republic in 1993. It ended shortwave broadcasts from its own transmitters in Slovakia in 2011, but it has continued broadcasting on shortwave via WRMI in Florida and Shortwave Service in Germany to this day.
However, Ladislava Hudzovicova of Radio Slovakia International has sent us some alarming news. She says: “We are writing to you asking for a great favor. We ask for your support, a testament to the value of our broadcasts and our work. The existence of Radio Slovakia International is threatened. We attach an open letter signed by the entire RSI editorial team. We thank you in advance for your support.”
It appears that Radio Slovakia International could be shut down as soon as December 31st of this year. That's next month. This is not just a case of a station possibly ending its shortwave broadcasts; it’s a case of a station from an important country ceasing to exist altogether. In a moment, I'll give you the email addresses where you can send messages of support for Radio Slovakia International. But first, I'll read you the open letter signed by the RSI employees. It reads:
“We, the members of Radio Slovakia International, were surprised by the news that, as part of the consolidation and preparation of the Slovak Television and Radio budget for next year, when we will commemorate the centenary of broadcasting in Slovakia, the management intends to substantially limit or even terminate Radio Slovakia International (RSI) broadcasts.
“The implementation of such a measure would conflict with Article 5, paragraph 1, letters p) and e) of Act No. 157/2024 on Slovak Television and Radio, which defines the broadcasting of programs of public interest abroad and programs aimed at Slovaks living abroad as the main activities of a public broadcaster. With the adoption of this decision, listeners would lose their only source of objective information about the Slovak Republic. With the added fact that we would be the only country in the Visegrad Group (V4) to stop broadcasting abroad in this way, in various languages of the world.
“Broadcasting abroad began in Czechoslovakia in the autumn of 1936 through Radiojournal, the forerunner of Czechoslovak Radio. The idea of reaching out to the world arose within the context of a difficult geopolitical situation that continues today. After the creation of the independent Slovak Republic, Slovak Radio continued this tradition by establishing an independent broadcasting station, RSI, which produces and distributes programs in English, French, German, Russian, and Spanish, in addition to broadcasts in Slovak for Slovaks living abroad.
“This year, we conducted a survey among listeners of our broadcasts, to which respondents from more than seventy countries in Europe, Australia, Asia, North America, and South America responded. The survey results confirmed the real interest of listeners, who also contact us regularly by letter, email, and in person. RSI's mission and work—the objective presentation of Slovakia abroad—aligns with the Slovak government's programmatic strategy of pursuing a "four-point policy." The content of broadcasts abroad cannot be replaced by a translation of Rádiožurnál coverage for Slovak listeners, nor by artificial intelligence, because the context and background must be explained to the foreign listener.
“As RSI editors, we systematically select topics, provide qualified translations, produce reports, edit material, and moderate programs. The result of our work is not only professional quality translations but, above all, creatively original texts, interviews, objective news, and reports. We support tourism and develop public diplomacy by maintaining long-term, intensive relations with foreign embassies present in Slovakia and with Slovak embassies abroad. We also cooperate with foreign cultural institutions in Slovakia, with which we successfully implement joint projects.
“The uniqueness of RSI's broadcasts also lies in the fact that, since the creation of the independent Slovak Republic, it has been the only Slovak media outlet that has continuously covered the lives of Slovaks living abroad. It connects our country with our compatriots around the world and with each other. We highlight the life, culture, social activities, and history of Slovaks abroad. We look for Slovak personalities who have had a significant impact in different parts of the world. We also introduce Slovakia to foreigners who are learning Slovak and, thanks to our broadcasts, have the opportunity to get to know our country.
“We are aware of the need for the state's economic consolidation and are willing to seek, together with the STVR leadership, opportunities for personnel and financial savings in the activities of the Slovak Radio. A substantial reduction in the Slovak Radio's foreign broadcasting activities would significantly weaken the daily flow of objective and accurate information to a wide foreign audience on the socio-political, economic, and cultural life of Slovakia, which has been guaranteed for more than three decades solely by the Slovak Radio's public broadcasting service.
“In Bratislava, 13.10.2025
The team of Radio Slovakia International”
So that was the open letter from Radio Slovakia International employees to Slovak Radio management. And again, 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]
The second address is: [email protected]
And the third address is: [email protected]
