Radio Bulgaria at 90: A voice to the world

Radio Bulgaria celebrates its 90th anniversary this February 16th - marking nine decades of serving as Bulgaria’s window to the world. Whether through those first shortwave broadcasts or today’s digital streams, the station has been a lifeline for Bulgarians overseas and a trusted voice for anyone wanting the real story on Bulgaria.

Its content is available in Bulgarian and ten other languages: English, Russian, German, French, Spanish, Turkish, Serbian, Greek, Albanian and Romanian. To mark the anniversary, we spoke to Editor-in-Chief Krasimir Martinov about his professional journey, the broadcaster's historical mission and its future.

Martinov’s path at Radio Bulgaria began in 1998, when, as a student of Bulgarian philology, he started contributing to the newsroom. He initially covered youth issues, but in the early 2000s, after a competitive selection process, he became a full-time journalist and took on one of the most demanding beats: domestic and foreign policy.

“At that time Bulgaria had not yet joined NATO, negotiations for membership of the European Union were only just beginning, conflicts in the former Yugoslavia were ongoing, the trial of the Bulgarian nurses and the Palestinian doctor in Libya was under way, and in 2003 came the war in Iraq,” Martinov recalls. “All these issues were in my field of vision as a young journalist.”

He describes that period as a genuine school of journalism - a time of high professional standards, rapid responses and serious responsibility to audiences abroad. He also credits the editors and directors he worked alongside — figures who left a lasting imprint on Radio Bulgaria’s history - with shaping his development.

Among the key milestones in his career, Martinov points to his time at the regional program, Radio Sofia. It was there that his reporting took on a deeper social dimension, often leading to tangible improvements in the urban environment and the lives of local citizens.

Today, Radio Bulgaria operates in a vastly different landscape. In our digital world, information moves instantly, and audiences have developed entirely new habits and expectations. For Martinov, adapting to these new formats is no longer a choice, it’s a necessity.

“We have no alternative; we have to embrace digital formats. They reach massive audiences in an instant, allow content to be revisited and analyzed, and provide us with much faster feedback from our listeners,” he says.

Despite these transformations, Radio Bulgaria’s core audience remains the same. First and foremost are Bulgarians living across the globe - from long-standing historical communities to more recent waves of emigration. A significant portion of the audience also includes foreign citizens who follow Bulgarian news in their own languages through the station’s ten foreign-language services. Among them are Bulgarian citizens whose mother tongue is Turkish, for whom a dedicated daily radio program is produced.

Building connections with Bulgarians abroad is rooted in long-standing trust and deep partnerships - with schools, cultural centers, church communities, and various institutions. Increasingly, Radio Bulgaria is also establishing itself as a key media partner for international forums and global initiatives.

“Despite budget constraints, we manage to stay flexible and support our compatriots around the world, building bridges - both among the communities themselves and between them and Bulgaria,” Martinov emphasizes.

Radio Bulgaria’s history is full of striking examples of its global impact - from radio enthusiasts in India who first discovered the country through its English broadcasts, to internationally recognized figures like Theodore Ushev and Djoko Rosic, whose own professional paths were closely tied to the station.

Ninety years after that first signal reached the world, Radio Bulgaria continues to honor its mission: to present the country honestly, professionally, and in a voice that is both clear and accessible. As Krasimir Martinov sums it up, it is the story of Bulgaria told beyond its borders - a legacy carried by generations of journalists who believe in the power of words and the enduring value of trust.

Further reading:

• Legendary actor Djoko Rosic devoted 17 years to Radio Bulgaria
  
• What was Sofia Airport renamed? - A radio club in India hosts a quiz on Bulgaria and the BNR
• Chrissy Brand from Great Britain: I’ve been listening to Radio Bulgaria for decades
• Helmut Matt: Radio Bulgaria is a bridge between Bulgaria, literature and the airwaves
• Bulgarian Orthodox Church and BNR join forces to provide spiritual support to compatriots abroad
• Some fun facts about the history of Radio Bulgaria

Editor: Elena Karkalanova

English: E. Radkova