| Radio Ukraine | |
| Country: | Ukraine |
| Network Type: | Radio network |
| Available: | International |
| Owner: | Suspilne |
| Key People: | Dmytro Khorkin (General producer) |
| Past Names: | National Radio Company of Ukraine (official name, before merging with Suspilne) |
| Website: | |
The Ukrainian radio (Ukrainian: Українське радіо), also called Radio Ukraine, is the publicly funded radio broadcaster in Ukraine since 1924. In 2017 it was merged with national TV company into the country's public broadcaster Suspilne.[1] Until the creation of the National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine, the National Radio Company of Ukraine was an independent company.[2] General producer of Radio Ukraine's channels since 2017 is Dmytro Khorkin.
Radio Ukraine Directorate of Suspilne is a structural subdivision of the company, which integrates four broadcasting channels, the studios of Radio House and the Recording House of Radio Ukraine, and five radio ensembles.
November 16 is celebrated as the Day of Radio, Television and Communications Workers in Ukraine in honor of the start of broadcasting of the Ukrainian Radio in 1924.[3]
Radio Ukraine broadcasts on AM, FM, satellite, cable TV-networks throughout Ukraine, the Internet and DAB+ (only in Kyiv). It also uses FM-OIRT and cable radio network, but its usage is being phased out in favour of FM, digital broadcasting and the Internet. Also it has mobile app suspilne.radio for Android and iOS.[4]
Radio broadcasts in Ukraine, at the time part of the USSR, began in Kharkov on November 16, 1924, and a nationwide radio network was initiated in 1928.[5] (In the first years of the USSR Kharkov was the capital of Ukraine, from December 1919 to January 1934, after which the capital relocated to Kiev, together with headquarters of Ukrainian Radio.[6])
Programs in the Ukrainian language were initially limited in time and content – more than 70% were political education and agitation: radio newspapers, reports, conversations, news, conferences and meetings. Later the programs of radio stations in Ukraine were extended with music, literature and drama programs for children and youth.
During the World War II, Ukrainian Radio never ceased its operations. At first it had to return to Kharkov, then to Stalingrad, and later to Saratov, from where regular Ukrainian language broadcasts were conducted.
Today's residence of the Ukrainian Radio at 26 Khreschatyk str. in Kyiv was built in 1949–1951 at the first national TV and radio center, fully equipped with domestic equipment. On November 6, 1951, the first TV broadcast came out of its studio.[7] Ukrainian TV was located there until the 1990s, then moved to new TV-center "Pencil", so residence on Khreschatyk remained the headquarters of radio.
During the USSR period, the State Committee on Television and Radio Broadcasting of the Ukrainian SSR had conducted the broadcasting on the channels of the Ukrainian Radio. In the early 1990s, the committee was transformed into the State Broadcasting Company of Ukraine. In 1995, the National Radio Company of Ukraine was isolated from the State Broadcasting Company of Ukraine. In 1995–2016 the National Radio Company of Ukraine was a state-owned company. In 2017 has been merged with National TV company into country's national broadcaster Suspilne.
Nowadays, Ukrainian radio has four public service radio channels that are broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The programs are broadcast on Channel One (Ukrainian Radio), Radio "Promin", Radio "Culture" and the Radio Ukraine International. November 16 is celebrated as the Day of radio, television and communications workers in Ukraine in honor of the start of broadcasting of the Ukrainian radio in 1924.
Since June 2017, Ukrainian Radio is headed by Dmytro Khorkin.[8]
Ukrainian Radio has its mobile app suspilne.radio for Android and iOS.
Radio ensembles are instrumental or vocal bands — i.e. radio orchestra – employed by public service broadcasters around the world, whose main tasks are to create stock records that sound on public radio stations, as well as to promote national culture.[13]
The following radio ensembles are a part of UA:PBC: