The first national radio station in the Czech Republic, WORLD RADIO, announced a significant expansion of its program schedule starting in May. The changes primarily concern the morning and early evening live broadcasts, strengthening listener interaction, and introducing new thematic blocks focusing on Czechoslovak and world music.
A key new feature is the extension of the morning session “ON AIR”, which is now broadcast every weekday between 9:00 and 12:00. The program combines current cultural news from the regions with updates from the music scene. Within this block, the station relies on direct interaction with listeners through messages sent directly to the studio in real time. The moderating team consists of both established personalities and new faces: René Kekely (Monday and Wednesday), Gerhard Gerry Hadi (Tuesday), Nataliia Makhno (Thursday), and Jakub Mádl (Friday).
The afternoon broadcast is supplemented by the program “The Music We Grew Up On”, broadcast on weekdays from 14:00. The format focuses on the history of Czechoslovak pop, including artists associated with the Bratislava Lyra festival, such as Modus, Elán, Petra Janů, and Marika Gombitová. The evening slot from 19:00 to 20:00 then features a selection of world music under the title “The Best of WORLD RADIO”, where genres such as funk, soul, and disco represented by formations like Earth, Wind & Fire or Shakatak are given space.
“To this day, our radio is a fusion of cultures and music. Only with us can listeners discover music from around the world, and we want to remain unique in that,” said station program director Gerhard Gerry Hadi.
In addition to daily news, the station continues with special weekend profiles dedicated to monographic presentations of world stars. Listeners in these blocks are given up to five hours of music from a single artist, such as Michael Jackson or Whitney Houston. In the future, the station management plans further expansion of national broadcasting and the introduction of programs in other foreign languages.
WORLD RADIO is available through digital broadcasting DAB+, hybrid television HbbTV, and the online platform RadioHub.cz. With its concept, it strives to connect national minorities and cultural diversity in the Czech media space.