The Council for Radio and Television Broadcasting (RRTV) has noted significant interest in the vacant radio frequency 99.3 MHz with a transmitter on Petřín Hill in Prague. The 1 kW frequency primarily attracts established media houses aiming to strengthen their coverage in the capital. The majority of applicants plan to complement their existing digital DAB+ distribution with “classic” FM broadcasting.
A total of five entities have applied for the license. Media Bohemia is seeking a license for the Hitrádio 90 project, while the Londa group has submitted an application for a station named Pražská Romantika (Prague Romance). It is speculated that the latter could be a terrestrial version of the internet stream Love Impuls, which targets a female audience. Another established player, LIN, has applied for its existing project Český Impuls (Czech Impuls).
New Projects and Legal Questions
Of particular interest is the application from the Radio United Broadcasting group for a station named Radio Praha News. This will likely be a spoken-word format, potentially leveraging synergies with the CNN Prima News television channel. However, experts point to a potential conflict regarding the station's name.
“The name Radio Praha News could face significant legal complications in real operation due to the ‘Radio Praha’ trademark held by Czech Radio,” market analysts state, adding that it is probably a working title for the project.
The fifth applicant is EDU Rádio with a program of the same name. Most of the submitted projects indicate an effort to return to traditional analog waves for stations that previously broadcast only digitally or online. The launch date for the transmitter is tentatively set for mid-July 2026.
Dispute over Direct Frequency Allocation
The entire process is accompanied by tension between the regulator and the public broadcaster. Czech Radio is also keenly interested in the Petřín frequency and dislikes the RRTV's decision to launch an open tender for this frequency instead of allocating it directly to them. The radio management is now considering further legal steps to challenge the Council's decision.
List of applicants for the 99.3 MHz / 1 kW frequency:
Media Bohemia (Hitrádio 90)
Londa (Pražská Romantika)
LIN (Český Impuls)
Radio United Broadcasting (Radio Praha News)
EDU Rádio (EDU Rádio)