FDC issue "100 years of Polish Radio" 

Catalogue number: 2374 
Issue date: 18-08-2025 

The stamp shows the logo of the 100th anniversary of Polish Radio. The FDC envelope features the anniversary slogan “We make sounds for listening” and a pattern and logo, which is also the title of the issue. The postmark features the anniversary signet. The issue was created in close cooperation with the applicant, Polish Radio. All the basic elements of the issue come from the “Brand Book” of the 100th anniversary of Polish Radio. 

The first radio broadcast was aired from the Polish Radio Technical Society station in Warsaw on February 1, 1925, on medium wave (385 m) from the studio at 25 Narbutta Street in Warsaw. It was a trial program and a technical experiment that preceded the official establishment of “Polish Radio” as a limited liability company on August 18, 1925. The founders of the station were Zygmunt Chamiec and Tadeusz Sułowski. The company had a monopoly license to broadcast radio programs throughout Poland. 

Polish Radio began regular broadcasting on April 18, 1926, at 5 p.m. with the words: “Hello, hello, Polish Radio Warsaw, frequency 480,” spoken by its first announcer, Janina Sztompkówna. The first broadcast was devoted to the music of Fryderyk Chopin. Polish Radio was based in the building of the Land Credit Society on Kredytowa Street, and the signal was broadcast using an antenna located at 29 Narbutta Street. In 1927, programs were broadcast from a fort on Racławicka Street. In 1929, the station moved to a converted building of the Trade and Office Workers' Union at 25 Zielna Street. In 1927, Polish Radio was the first in the world to start an international exchange of programs. In 1929, Polish Radio received a new license. 

In its early days, the radio program was broadcast only for a few hours in the evening. In the second half of the 1930s, it was already broadcast throughout the day, from 6:15 a.m. to midnight. Most of the airtime was devoted to music. Polish Radio maintained its own choirs, chamber ensembles, and orchestras. The most famous was the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Warsaw. 

From October 3, 1949, Polish Radio broadcast two programs throughout Poland. On November 1, 1957, the Experimental Studio began operating—one of several sound and electronic music studios in the world, working for composers, radio, television, and film. 

On March 1, 1958, Program III began broadcasting, initially only in Warsaw; it was not until 1962 that it became a program broadcast throughout Poland. “Trójka” offered a different model than the other two channels, targeting young people, especially students. On December 31, 1993, Polskie Radio became a joint-stock company owned by the State Treasury: the State Treasury company “Polskie Radio S.A.” was entered into the commercial register of the District Court for the capital city of Warsaw. On October 1, 2013, Polish Radio also began broadcasting its program in DAB+ technology. 

Listen to Polish Radio: Polskie Radio

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