The Definitive SLOVENIA! Thread (w/ lots of great pics!)

WW Update · Wed 20 Apr, 2005 06.42

This is just a random thread about the country where I'm from -- and a place for any related questions or comments you may have. Slovenia may still be fairly unknown to most Britons, but thanks to easyJet, record numbers of your countrymen are finally discovering what Channel 4 recently called "one of the most beautiful places in the world."

Since many of you are interested in television, you'll find a brief description of the Slovenian TV landscape in my second post. But first, some pics of the country:

Photo: Bobo and slovenia-tourism.si

Photo: B. Bajzelj and slovenia-tourism.si

Photo: Bobo and slovenia-tourism.si

Photo: A. Fevzer and slovenia-tourism.si

Photo: Ubald Trnkoczy and slovenia-tourism.si

Photo: J. Skok and slovenia-tourism.si

Photo: Bobo and slovenia-tourism.si

Photo: D. Mladenovic and slovenia-tourism.si

Photo: Bobo and slovenia-tourism.si

Photo: D. Mladenovic and slovenia-tourism.si

Photo: B. Bajzelj and slovenia-tourism.si

Photo: A. Favzer and slovenia-tourism.si

Photo: Bobo and slovenia-tourism.si

Photo: D. Mladenovič and slovenia-tourism.si

Photo: B. Kladnik and slovenia-tourism.si

Photo: Bobo and slovenia-tourism.si

Photo: D. Mladenovič and slovenia-tourism.si

Photo: B. Kladnik and slovenia-tourism.si

Photo: D. Mladenovič and slovenia-tourism.si

Photo: A. Fevzer and slovenia-tourism.si

Photo: Bobo and slovenia-tourism.si

Photo: B. Kladnik and slovenia-toursim.si

Photo: D. Mladenovic and slovenia-toursim.si

Photo: B. Kladnik and slovenia-toursim.si

Photo: Bobo and slovenia-toursim.si

Photo: D. Mladenovic and slovenia-toursim.si

Photo: B. Kladnik and slovenia-toursim.si

Photo: D. Mladenovic and slovenia-toursim.si

Photo: A. Fevzer and slovenia-tourism.si

Photo: J. Skok and slovenia-tourism.si

Photo: B. Kladnik and slovenia-tourism.si

NOTE: All photos used here in 100% accordance with slovenia-tourism.si's photo policy.

WW Update · Wed 20 Apr, 2005 06.45

And here, as promised, is a quick overview of Slovenia's TV scene:

TV Slovenia:
http://www.rtvslo.si

TV Slovenia (known as TV Ljubljana in Yugoslav times), a typical European public broadcaster, operates two main networks. The first is more general (with many newscasts), while the second has more special-interest programming.

TV Koper/Capodistria:

Now a part of TV Slovenia, TV Koper/Capodistria broadcasts mainly in Italian for the Italian minority in Slovenia. It's a very interesting TV station: many years ago, it was retransmitted across Italy (as TeleCapodistria) and watched as far south as Rome. It was even programmed for a while by Silvio Berlusconi as an all-sports network.

POP TV:
http://www.pop-tv.si and http://www.24ur.com

Owned in part by an American company, POP TV began broadcasting in 1995. It introduced many American promotional and programming techniques and became TV Slovenia's first major competitor. Its flagship newscast is "24 Ur" ("24 Hours") at 7PM. American programming and Latin telenovelas dominate its schedule.

Kanal A:
http://www.kanal-a.si/

Slovenia's first commercial station, Kanal A began broadcasting in 1990, but only became a major competitor when it was bought by SBS in the late 1990s. It has since been sold, and is now owned by the same company that owns POP TV.

PRVA TV:

Formerly called TV3, it began as a Catholic network. After many years of problems, TV3 is now the general-interest PRVA TV, with many telenovelas, but no real competition for POP TV and Kanal A.

NET TV, TV Pika, etc.

There are many local and low-budget TV stations in Slovenia.

National Geographic Channel, Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, Romantica, Reality TV, etc.

These cable channels are partially subtitled in Slovenian.

HBO Slovenia:
http://www.hbo-slovenia.com/

HBO Slovenia began broadcasting last year. Its programming is similar to other European versions of HBO, but with Slovenian subtitles. The satellite feed is the same as for HBO Croatia -- just the promotional voiceovers and subtitles are different.

MTV Adria:

Scheduled to begin broadcasting in August 2005, MTV Adria -- MTV's newest network -- will be based in Ljubljana and will be available in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, and Macedonia. Its programming will the partly in Slovenian and partly in Croatian/Serbian.

If you have any questions or comments about Slovenia, post them here. You may never meet another person from little SLO again.

WW Update · Wed 20 Apr, 2005 07.05

P.S. To those who are not familiar with Slovenia at all: It's one of the ten countries that joined the EU last year. SLO's population is roughly two million, its capital is Ljubljana, and is bordered by Austria, Hungary, Croatia and Italy. It is not to be confused with Slovakia (but frequently is).

WW Update · Wed 20 Apr, 2005 08.22

And a final post before I finally shut up: For some inexplicable reason, the Slovenian flag made it into an episode of South Park for a split second. Since Slovenians are unusued to any publicity, especially from American television, the event was a major topic of conversation. You can read what is known (not much) here.

Source: carniola.org

EDIT: As I'm writing this, the site linked to above is having some problems, but it should be back shortly.

Nick Harvey · Wed 20 Apr, 2005 12.34

Sput · Wed 20 Apr, 2005 12.39

Perfect response! Golf clap for you Nick!

Gavin Scott · Wed 20 Apr, 2005 12.45

WW Update wrote:NOTE: All photos used here in 100% accordance with slovenia-tourism.si's photo policy.

Do they get very angry if you don't use them in accordance with their policy?

If you have any questions or comments about Slovenia, post them here. You may never meet another person from little SLO again.

Why is that? Is there something you are not telling us?

Your country is indeed very pretty. Good for you.

Pete · Wed 20 Apr, 2005 17.38

I prefer Serbians

Anonymous · Wed 20 Apr, 2005 18.48

Not quite sure what this post is actually here for, but your Eurovision song is very nice indeed.

fusionlad · Wed 20 Apr, 2005 18.50

Nice response Nick

Cheese Head · Wed 20 Apr, 2005 18.53

I'm listening to Abba, so I'm all happy and can't really be negative ...

well, eitherway, those pictures are really nice, very cleeeeeaaaaannn...

unlike this grotty shit hole of a country