Exactly forty years ago, on November 24, 1985, Czechoslovak Radio transmitted a Symphony Orchestra concert from Prague’s Rudolfinum all the way to Tokyo, Japan.
This is how the weekly magazine Rozhlas reported on tge digital transmission|Photo: Rozhlas, programový týdeník, 47, 1985/Digitální knihovna Kramerius
The concert time was chosen deliberately—noon in Prague meant evening in Tokyo, the perfect moment for the Japanese audience. They witnessed a world first: digitally transmitted sound in real time across two continents.
This achievement came after long and tense preparations. According to Jaroslav Junek, then Director of Technology, radio engineers first tested the possibilities of digital transmission on shorter routes, such as to Bratislava. Complications arose as well—the unusual “striped” signal was initially mistaken for a malfunction by monitoring stations, which interfered with it. Only after resolving these issues could the daring Prague–Tokyo connection take place.
Interestingly, FM Tokyo had initially approached other radio stations, including the famous BBC. The BBC declined, leaving Czechoslovak Radio to claim this unique world first. The successful experiment also inspired further broadcasts—soon after, concerts were transmitted from West Berlin and Boston.
And how did digitally encoded music affect the Japanese audience? According to contemporary reactions, listeners appreciated not only the artistic quality but also the technical clarity of the transmission. “They felt as if they were sitting right in Dvořák Hall,” Tokyo media reported at the time.
AloJapan.com