Czech Radio initially deployed the Artist wired intercom system in 2009, finding it to be a versatile and reliable solution that would immediately simplify communication between individual workplaces and, over time, support straightforward expansion. Since then, the broadcaster has incrementally scaled up its Riedel intercom system to accommodate changes in technology and operations.

Over the years, Czech Radio has shifted from early Artist versions up to the Artist-1024 and from early Riedel RCP and DCP Series intercom panels to next-generation SmartPanels. Following this latest upgrade, the broadcaster’s infrastructure now consists of one new Artist-1024 frame, three Artist-64 matrices, almost 10 dozen intercom panels, including RSP-1232 and RSP-1216 SmartPanels, and a new Bolero wireless intercom system.

Czech Radio operates 10 nationwide stations and another 14 regional stations. Some of the regional studios are connected via VoIP, while others are connected via the SmartPanel’s Syntonous Mode, a feature that connects 1200 Series SmartPanels in wide area networks. In Syntonous Mode, the SmartPanel supports AES67 connections to the Artist matrix with high-path delay and without PTP synchronization. AES67 with Syntonous Mode provides high-quality audio with low latency, making it a powerful alternative to VoIP connections.

In most situations, two technicians, one producer, and one or two presenters use the Artist system for communication between work sites and for MADI interconnection to their third-party switching system. At the news stations, teams use the panels’ GPIO properties for on-air signaling to remote workplaces. For communication at outdoor events, they rely on the Bolero wireless intercom system, which consists of two antennas, four beltpacks, and one NSA analog converter.