The Slovak Group started broadcasting at Radio 4EB as the Czechoslovakian Group from 1 December 1979 then from 20 June 1987 broadcasting as the Slovak Group and their first committee members were:
Committee Members: M Cervenak, K Green, A Koda, P Vitko and E Dizo
The Slovaks were part of the old Czechoslovakia in 1986. The Czechoslovak group of the Radio 4EB was the first to broadcast on air in 1979.
Although part of Czechoslovakia, Slovaks had a strong presence in NSW for the previous 30 years. In the mid 80-ties, a branch of the Association of Australian Slovaks was established in Queensland instigated by a Catholic priest Cernaj. A suggestion was made to form a separate Slovak radio group which was then formed in the middle of 1987.
Tono Kojda and Michal Červenák were both in charge of the organisation of the membership and of the actual group. Jan Malach, as a Slovak from Yugoslavia, oversaw the membership from the ranks of the Slovaks from previous Yugoslavia living in Qld.
The Slovaks from Yugoslavia eventually left the group and joined the Czechoslovak radio group.
The first Slovak broadcast was on 8 February 1988 with panel operator Tono Kojda. Later, Michal Červenák, joined in.
Jan Malach commenced the first Slovak broadcast as part of the Czechoslovak group on 8 April 1988. The Slovak program in this group was usually about once a month.
In mid-90-ties, due to lack of broadcasters, the Slovak group ceased its activity until Milan Lorman took charge. Initially, he got others to act as panel operators until Peter Horniak got a licence.
When the then Czechoslovak group changed its name to Czech, the Slovaks in this group transferred to the Slovak group that was by then nearly at its end. With the boost of members and new broadcasters, the Slovak group was able to continue.
In 2002, Emilia Matula became the Convenor of the Slovak group and the broadcasting continued engaging more young people. Ingrid Pride has also been a Convenor for a few years during the intervening period.
The group supports older country people as well as many young Slovaks coming to Brisbane that need finding a community. It also provides a platform for engaging in an activity that develops confidence to start life in a new environment while continue being connected to their country of origin and its culture.
