Slovak radio icon Fero Hora dies

Slovakia's first ever DJ and presenter Fero Hora died on Monday (January 16) at the age of 68, reported his son Andrej. Born in Rimavská Sobota in 1948, Hora is often regarded by his peers as a pioneer and musical educator, as during the 1970s and 1980s during Communism in Slovakia he was among the first to play Western music to eager Slovak audiences, educating listeners with an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of bands and artists. Hora worked in Czechoslovak and Slovak broadcasting for decades in numerous iconic stations and from 2007 to 2015 worked as Musical Director for Radio Slovakia International. A number of prominent media personalities have since come forth with stories of his influence on their work. Fero Hora's funeral is scheduled for Tuesday (January 24).