Bulgarian RadioThere are over 3,000 Bulgarian radio stations broadcasting across the airwaves. The national radio network of Bulgaria is the Bulgarian National Radio, which was founded by a group of intellectuals on 30 March 1930. In 1993 it was granted a full active membership of the European Broadcasting Union, whose highest profile production is the infamous Eurovision Song Contest. Bulgarian Pop Music Once upon a time, the only programs broadcast across Bulgarian radio waves were strictly censored pieces of propaganda, designed to tell the population only what the ruling powers-that-be wanted them to know. Thankfully, those dark days are long gone and modern radio stations in Bulgaria can broadcast what they like.
There are two main domestic Bulgarian language radio stations, plus a world service called Radio Bulgaria that broadcasts in a number of different languages. Horizon Radio is the most popular radio station in Bulgaria. It is owned by the state and specializes in national news coverage. Unlike many state owned radio stations, Horizon is widely considered to be the most independent media outlet in Bulgaria and it prides itself on reporting on the big stories the moment they break. To provide some light relief in between all of the serious news stuff, it also plays a huge selection of the latest pop tunes. Depending on what you wish to listen to, there are radio stations in Bulgaria that cater for most musical tastes. There are several stations playing golden oldie hits for those of advanced years, and there are also plenty of stations broadcasting more contemporary music, for example various EILO Radio stations, who play a happy mix of pop, rock, techno, trance, progressive, ambient and chill. If hardcore techno and trance is not your thing, you might prefer BNG Hristo Botev, named after the famous Bulgarian poet and national revolutionary, which broadcasts an altogether more soothing mixture of music, topical news, and culture programs. Local Bulgarian radio is a great way of having a little taste of Bulgaria before you visit the country. All radio stations are available to listen to online, so if you are keen on brushing up on your Bulgarian language skills before you travel, tune in to one of the local stations and see just how much of the chatter you can make sense of. Try the Bulgarian world service channel in your native language so you can gain some useful insight into the latest news stories and issues that are important to the local population.
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