Radio Romania 98
The Romanian public radio gets closer to its centennial
Bogdan Matei, 02.11.2026, 13:50
A decade after WWI, when all the Romanian-speaking provinces belonging to various empires until that time had come under the authority of Bucharest, Romania offered itself the most effective means of communication available at the moment, the only one able to be heard in any region of the entire country that was now completed. On November 1, 1928, the Radiotelephonic Broadcasting Society in Romania – which would later become the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation as we know it today – aired its first programme.
Designed from its early days as a means of information, education and entertainment, the Romanian public radio has broadcast uninterruptedly for 98 years. Of course it had to editorially adjust itself along the years, paying tribute to the political power, but it always survived the radical regime changes the country saw in this period – from the inter-war democracy to the right-wing dictatorships around the Second World War to the communist dictatorship and to the restored democracy after 1989.
For a long time credited as the most trustworthy and important media institution in Romania, through the great number of its listeners, Radio Romania caters to the entire society, to all generations and tastes. Just as the country’s President, Nicusor Dan, says.
Nicuşor Dan: ”We have a public space which is dominated by polarization, a lot of noise and even disinformation, so the role of a public media institution is to keep the balance, dialogue, real debates and verified information. And this is the mission, the public radio has. I want to thank all the journalists, editors and producers, to all who make these transmissions possible.”
This has been confirmed by Prime Minister Luca Niculescu
Luca Niculescu: “The Public Radio has succeeded in uniting people from all over the country and creating a bridge towards the entire world, new horizons through news, music and poetry. As a former radio journalist for more than two decades, I still believe today in a Public Radio strong and independent, where journalists have the freedom to investigate and tell the truth to the public.”
Radio Romania consists of several stations, such as its flagship, “Actualităţi” ‘News and Current Affairs’, the cultural channel known as “Radio Romania Cultural”, “Radio Romania Music” and “Antena Satelor” (the Village Antenna). It also includes regional and local channels, as well as several online stations for children and young people.
The Romanian Public Radio started broadcasting internationally as early as the 30s. Along the years, Radio Romania International has tried to make the present day realities and the Romanian values accessible to a foreign audience as well as to cultivate the patriotic attachment of the ever-increasing Romanian Diaspora.
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