Polskie Radio

Polish Radio, also called PR, is the national public radio company of Poland. It was started in 1925 and is owned by the government of Poland. Polish Radio brings news, music, and many other programs to people all across the country through the airwaves.

On December 27, 2023, something changed for Polish Radio. The President of Poland did not agree with how the company was being paid for, so the Minister of Culture made a decision to close it down. This was an important moment for Polish Radio and for the people who listened to it every day.

Even though Polish Radio faced this challenge, it will always be remembered for its long history of helping people stay informed and connected through radio broadcasts.

Chronology

Polskie Radio started on 18 August 1925 and began regular broadcasts from Warsaw on 18 April 1926. Before the Second World War, it had one national channel that used a powerful longwave transmitter at Raszyn, near Warsaw. This transmitter was destroyed in 1939 when the German Army invaded.

Before the war, Polskie Radio also had nine regional stations. These included stations in Kraków, Poznań, Katowice, Wilno, Lwów, Łódź, Toruń, Warszawa (known as Warszawa II), and Baranowicze. A tenth station was planned for Łuck but never opened because the war started.

Polskie Radio Trójka has created Polish music charts since 1982, even before there were official sales or airplay charts. These charts show what music was popular in Poland and are available on the station's website.

After the war, Polskie Radio was rebuilt with help from the Soviet Red Army. It became part of a state broadcasting body. In 1992, this body was dissolved, and Polskie Radio and Telewizja Polska became separate companies. Since 2001, Polskie Radio and Telewizja Polska have held an annual festival called "Dwa Teatry" Festival", which celebrates television and radio plays. Awards are given for the best productions and acting.

Channels

Polskie Radio offers many different channels for listeners to enjoy.

National

Some of the main national channels include:

• Program 1 (Jedynka – One) – information and popular music like pop, rock, and jazz, available on long wave, FM, DAB+, and the internet.
• Program 2 (Dwójka – Two) – classical music and cultural programs, available on FM, DAB+, and the internet.
• Program 3 (Trójka – Three) – rock, alternative, jazz, and eclectic music, available on FM, DAB+, and the internet.
• Polskie Radio 24 (PR24) – news and talk shows, available on FM, DAB+, and the internet.
• Program 4 (Czwórka – Four) – programs for young people, available on DAB+ and the internet.
• Polskie Radio Chopin – Polish classical music, available on DAB+ and the internet.
• Polskie Radio Dzieciom – programming for children during the day, magazines for parents in the evening, and jazz music at night, available on DAB+ and the internet.
• Polskie Radio Kierowców – music and information for drivers, available on DAB+ and the internet.

Regional stations

Polskie Radio also has 17 regional stations across Poland, such as:

• Białystok (Radio Białystok)
• Bydgoszcz (Radio Pomorza i Kujaw)
• Gdańsk (Radio Gdańsk)
• Katowice (Radio Katowice)
• Kielce (Radio Kielce)
• Koszalin (Radio Koszalin)
• Kraków (Radio Kraków)
• Lublin (Radio Lublin)
• Łódź (Radio Łódź)
• Olsztyn (Radio Olsztyn)
• Opole (Radio Opole)
• Poznań (Radio Poznań)
• Rzeszów (Polskie Radio Rzeszów)
• Szczecin (Radio Szczecin)
• Warsaw (Polskie Radio RDC)
• Wrocław (Radio Wrocław)
• Zielona Góra (Radio Zachód)

City stations

There are also city stations in places like:

• Gorzów Wielkopolski – Radio Gorzów
• Lublin – Radio Freee
• Poznań – MC Radio
• Słupsk – Radio Słupsk
• Szczecin – Radio Szczecin Extra
• Wrocław – Radio RAM
• Zielona Góra – Radio Zielona Góra
• Łódź – Radio Łódź Nad Wartą

Most of these city stations are broadcast on FM and the internet, except Radio Szczecin Extra, which is only available online and via DAB+.

Digital-only

Polskie Radio also has digital-only stations available on the internet and DAB+, such as:

• Kielce – Folk Radio (folk music)
• Kraków – OFF Radio Kraków (cultural)
• Wrocław – Radio Wrocław Kultura (cultural)
• Opole – Radio Opole 2
• Olsztyn – Radio Warmii i Mazur
• Łódź – Radio Łódź Extra
• Kraków – Radio Kraków Kultura

International

Finally, Polskie Radio offers an international channel called Radio Poland, which broadcasts in several languages including Belarusian, English, German, Polish, Russian, and Ukrainian. It can be found on 1386 AM, HotBird 13, DAB+ in Poland, and the internet.

Controversy

AI generated programming

In October 2024, a radio station in Krakow played a show that seemed to be an interview with Wisława Szymborska, a famous writer who passed away in 2012. Her voice was created using technology, which upset many people. This happened shortly after the team that made the programs was let go, and listeners showed their support for them and signed a petition against this decision.