Greetings and good news: a listener is writing a book about Radio Bulgaria

Congratulations continue to “pour in” for the 90th anniversary of Radio Bulgaria, which we celebrated on 16 February! Thank you to everyone who warmed our hearts with such kind words. We open our mailbox to share some of them with you:

Dear editors of Radio Bulgaria, congratulations on the 90th anniversary of Radio Bulgaria, wrote Martina Pohl from Germany.

Greetings from Sweden!
Hearty congratulations on Radio Bulgaria’s 90th anniversary
Mr Muralidhar M.

Happy Birthday! My report is exactly of the day. Thank you very much for your January QSL card, which arrived here a couple of days ago. That’s really great!
Simon-Peter Liehr
Germany

A very pleasant surprise came from our long-time listener from Germany, Helmut Matt, who has decided to write an entire book about the multilingual programme of the Bulgarian National Radio, now known as Radio Bulgaria:

Dear Radio Bulgaria team, today is an occasion for congratulations: 90 years of Radio Bulgaria – that is truly something to celebrate! For more than 50 years I have had the honour of being part of this, and even visiting the station in person - writes Mr. Matt.

• Helmut Matt: Radio Bulgaria is a bridge between Bulgaria, literature and the airwaves

There is another piece of news that may interest you: I am currently writing a book dedicated to the 90th anniversary of Radio Bulgaria, expected to be titled ‘This is Radio Sofia speaking’. I have already forwarded information about the anniversary, the special programmes, the online documentation and the QSL series to Radio Kurier, and I assume an article will appear there soon.
The historical QSL series is truly a wonderful gift for us listeners!

Another gift reached us – this time from Belgium. Journalist Michel Fremy, who presents key current events and the history of radio on the long-distance broadcasting page Radio Magazine, marked Radio Bulgaria’s anniversary with a short video and many photos, focusing on information and the programme “Bulgaria Today” in French.

We also received a valuable photograph from radio enthusiast Bozhidar Tsvetanov from Pleven, Bulgaria, with the following note:

As only one operational medium-wave transmitter remains in the history of Radio Bulgaria, I would like to share my photograph of the unique antennas of the Vidin transmission centre. I offer it as a sign of respect to you and the team of the Bulgarian National Radio.

I am proud to have captured several such beautiful shots before photovoltaic panels were built, which have now covered the grassy area. Even if we wanted to take a similar photo today, it would no longer be possible.

We would like to express our sincere thanks for the feedback and for the wonderful appreciation of our work. It is always a pleasure to know that even in the most distant corners of the world, people take an interest in Bulgaria, and that the information we provide in Bulgarian and ten other languages – English, Russian, German, French, Spanish, Serbian, Greek, Turkish, Albanian and Romanian – reaches its audience.

• Letters from around the world mark 90 years of Radio Bulgaria

I listen to your English programme regularly. Reception conditions are very good, says MD Abdul Mannan from Bangladesh, adding: I like your news “Bulgaria Today” and “Song of the Day”. I also like “Letters from Around the World”, which marks 90 years of Radio Bulgaria.

I am a regular listener of your English-language programme, writes Geoffrey Leech from Japan. The history and memory of the Foreign Language Service of the Bulgarian National Radio will live on in the future. I am really impressed by today’s interview. Over the years, Radio Bulgaria has had a clear mission: to show what an interesting country Bulgaria is, to reveal its culture and its music.

Yes, Radio Bulgaria has accomplished this mission. The Museum of Radio History preserves not just equipment, but the living memory of generations of professionals. How wonderful! That must be the secret of Radio Bulgaria’s excellence. I would very much like to visit the museum.

Here is what Mr Najimuddin, Director of the International DX Radio Listeners Club in India, wrote to us:

I enjoyed the news programme “Bulgaria Today”, which brings a summary of the leading news stories from Bulgaria and the weather forecast for the weekend. The programme about radio with senior editor of the BNR Digital Programmes Department, Zlatko Zhelev, and the discussion on whether artificial intelligence can sound natural on the radio was really very interesting. I also liked the programme on Veselin Petkov in The Hague: “In the Bulgarian Church, we are at home”. All your programmes are always my favourites for reliable and enjoyable information.

As we share news about Bulgarian art and history, it is rewarding to know that our work is appreciated.

Dear Radio Bulgaria, I hope you are all well, writes Muhammad Aqeel Bashir from Pakistan. I am writing to share my thoughts after reading the article on your official page about the exhibition in Los Angeles that connects the past and present of Bulgarian culture. It was very interesting and enjoyable to read.

First of all, I would like to say that your programmes are always very informative. Your news and current affairs reports are clear, balanced and based on real facts. They show strong journalistic authority, which I truly respect. When I read your reports, I feel that the information is trustworthy and carefully prepared.

The article about the cultural exhibition in Los Angeles was very impressive. I liked how it combines modern art such as painting, sculpture and graphic work with traditional Bulgarian costumes. It shows that culture is alive and continues to grow while still respecting history. The idea of presenting ethnographic costumes from many regions of Bulgaria is also very beautiful, as it highlights the richness and diversity of the country’s folk traditions.

I truly enjoy reading Radio Bulgaria’s articles and learning about Bulgarian culture, society and global activities.

“Dear Sir or Madam, thank you for the beautiful QSL card! I was very pleased and immediately looked online to see where Shiroka Laka is located. There are many beautiful houses there – a truly wonderful holiday destination! I wish you all the best and good health,” writes Dieter Feltes from Germany.

Last but not least, we would like to welcome friends from around the world who have written to us for the first time:

Hello! I am Mr Jari Lehtinen from Finland. I am a long-time listener. I believe I first heard Radio Bulgaria on shortwave in the 1980s, when I was a student.

My name is Gabriel Gomez. I am 55 years old and live in the coastal city of Montevideo, in southern Uruguay (South America). I have been a DXer since 1984 and a licensed radio amateur since 1988, registered on the amateur radio website.

Dear Friends, I work as a Professor of English at the University of Eastern Finland in Joensuu, where I teach English and Cultural Studies, and I have been a radio enthusiast for more than 40 years. My main field of research is American and British literature, and I have published a number of books in this area. I am particularly interested in postcolonial and ethnic studies. I have also visited Blagoevgrad (with a trip to Melnik), which I enjoyed very much.
Dr Jopi Nyman

Hi, I’m Silvestro from Italy. I’m a fan of MW and SW radio listening. As a radio enthusiast and long-time listener of Radio Sofia, I would be very glad to receive your QSL card.
Silvestro Tanini

Dear friends, all QSL cards for February have been sent and will soon reach you. We look forward to receiving your new letters!

For further reading: 

• DX Legend Ivo Ivanov: Even if only online, keep telling the world about Bulgaria
• From Radio Sofia to Radio Bulgaria: 56 years of loyal listening
• QSL No. 3: 1930 – The first union of radio enthusiasts in Bulgaria
• Radio Bulgaria draws a true map of Bulgaria on the world map

Text by Desislava Semkovska

Editor: E. Karkalanova