Polish Radio CEO Paweł Majcher told the audience that from its earliest days, the public broadcaster has helped unite the nation.
"We are building Polish Radio that unites, builds bonds with its listeners and inspires trust," he said.
Majcher reflected on the broadcaster’s first transmission in 1925, noting that while few households owned radios at the time, the "magic of the voice" quickly won over audiences.
"Radio conquered Poland, it conquered the hearts of Poles," he said.
During the ceremony, Deputy Culture Minister Maciej Wróbel awarded state medals of merit in culture, known as Gloria Artis, to several longtime contributors.
Maria Szabłowska, a music journalist with Polish Radio 1 for 55 years, received the Gloria Artis Gold Medal of Merit.
Silver medals went to Piotr Kaczkowski, a music journalist with Polish Radio 3 since 1963, and Andrzej Mietkowski, a journalist and director of Polish Radio’s archives.
Maciej Gudowski, a broadcaster and voice artist with the station since 1984, was awarded the bronze Gloria Artis medal.
The gala came ahead of Poland’s official designation of 2026 as the “Year of Polish Radio,” marking the centenary of its first regular broadcasts.
Polish Radio traces its beginnings to a test broadcast on February 1, 1925, from a transmitter in Warsaw. Soon after, the new Polskie Radio company began operating. It received a nationwide broadcasting licence on August 18, 1925.
Regular programming started on April 18, 1926, and expanded rapidly in the years that followed, with new studios, longer airtime and what some say was the world's first international programme exchange in 1927.
By the late 1930s, broadcasts ran from early morning until midnight, with music playing a central role through in-house choirs, chamber ensembles and the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
After World War II, the broadcaster launched a second national station in 1949 and established its Experimental Studio in 1957, a pioneering sound laboratory for composers and media producers.
Polish Radio 3, which debuted in 1958, quickly gained popularity among students and young listeners.
Today, Polish Radio operates five national stations along with several digital and online channels, offering news, music, cultural programming, podcasts and more.
In the digital era, Polish Radio has embraced mobile apps, streaming platforms and DAB+ technology, while continuing to serve as a trusted source of information, entertainment and companionship for audiences across generations, executives have said.
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Source: IAR, PAP