QSL No. 3: 1930 – The first union of radio enthusiasts in Bulgaria

To mark its 90th anniversary in 2026, Radio Bulgaria is issuing a new series of 12 QSL cards to confirm listeners’ reception reports. Each card highlights a key historical moment from the history of Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) and the Radio Bulgaria programme. At the beginning of each month, a special publication will share interesting facts related to the images featured on the cards.

Our new QSL cards: 90 years BNR and 90 years Radio Bulgaria

The third QSL card for 2026 is dedicated to the creation of the first union of radio amateur enthusiasts in Bulgaria - "Rodno Radio"

In 1927, Radio Vienna, Radio Budapest, Radio Istanbul and other foreign stations began to be received in Bulgaria, but the need for the Bulgarian listener to listen to the radio in Bulgarian became increasingly evident. In 1929, a group of engineers, led by technician Georgi Valkov, built a 50-watt radio transmitter in Sofia. On March 30, 1930, prominent engineers and intellectuals founded "Rodno Radio" - the first union of radio enthusiasts in Bulgaria.

For the needs of the union, the state provided a building in the center of Sofia. In May 1930, the first test broadcasts were made with the words: "Attention, transmitter Rodno Radio, Sofia!" and on June 15, the first Bulgarian radio station began operating.

Initially, "Rodno Radio" broadcast two or three times a week for three or four hours, filled mainly with music from gramophone records, information from the BTA bulletins, various discussions in different languages ​​- French, German, Italian, and others. Live broadcasts of various concerts, celebrations, liturgies were also listened to with great interest. On August 28, 1931, the first attempts were made to retransmit broadcasts of foreign radio stations on "Rodno Radio".

Radio broadcasts on "Rodno Radio" continued until the beginning of 1935, when the Council of Ministers adopted Statutory Ordinance on Radio in Bulgaria, according to which the broadcasting of programs was declared a state monopoly. Tsar Boris III signed the decree on January 25 of the same year. With the entry into force of this law, the first period in the history of Bulgarian radio broadcasting ended and radio programming organized by the state started. Panayot Hristov (Sirak Skitnik) was appointed as the head who took over the programming activities of the new state-owned "Radio Sofia".

To receive a QSL card, listeners should send a reception report indicating the date and language (for Radio Bulgaria) or the date, time and frequency of the broadcast heard (for other BNR programmes), along with details of the programme content.

Reports can be sent via a channel convenient for you:

• by e-mail: reception.report@bnr.bg

• by mail to the following address: Bulgaria, Sofia, 1040, Dragan Tsankov Blvd. 4, BNR, Desislava Semkovska

It is mandatory to provide a postal address for feedback.

We remind you that BNR also confirms reception reports with old series of QSL cards. If you wish to receive any of them, please indicate it in the report.

See also:

QSL No. 2: Commemorating Bulgaria’s first radio signal