The Hungarian Radio's ancestor was the Telefonhirmondo ("Newsteller by phone"), which used phone network to broadcast its programme, was established in 1893 and worked until the end of 1930s years.
Experiences began in the 1910s years, but the first experimental broadcast was in 1924 from a soundproofed car which was used to carry furniture before.
The official broadcast began on 1st December 1925, eighty years ago in Budapest. Its name was Radio Budapest. Since 1928 worked the first high performance transmitter that made possible to use commercial radio devices. In 1933 built the 305 metre high performance broadcasting station in Lakihegy, next to Budapest. At that time this was the highest structure in Europe. In 1934 began its second channel the Budapest II.
At the end of the Second World War on 30th November 1944 the German army blow up transmitters. The Budapest I channel broadcasting started again on 1st May 1945, and the Lakihegy broadcasting station worked again from 1948.
In February 1949 both channels changed their name. Budapest I became Kossuth Radio, (named after the leader of the Revolution of 1848-49) and Budapest II became Petöfi Radio (named after the famous poet who died in the Revolution of 1848-49). During the 1950s years the Hungarian Radio was the official source of information so that news was censured.
At the begin of the Revolution 1956 rebels want to read their proclamation on the radio, but the guards shoot into the mass. Later this building became one of the revolutionary centres. Because of the fight the studio moved to the building of the Parliament.
At the end of 1960s the central building was extended with the neighbour palaces in the block between Bródy Sándor Street and Pollack Mihály Square, adding new studios and workshops to the institute. In 1973 opened the 3rd Channel which later became Bartok Radio.
The dual media system was formed in 1998 and a regular competition started between the different mass media channels. Since commercial television and radio stations flooded the market primarily with entertainment industry products, the value-centered approach and program structure of the public service radio makes it, if possible, even more important to preserve its culture creating and broadcasting functions.
The programme structure of the Hungarian Radio is the following: Kossuth Radio is the main national station, This channel informs the audience, on a continuous basis, about the most important political, economic, cultural and sports events.
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