{"id":15784,"date":"2025-12-01T12:03:03","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T10:03:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tozsdemuzeum.hu\/?p=15784"},"modified":"2026-01-31T10:50:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T08:50:22","slug":"100-eves-a-magyar-radio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tozsdemuzeum.hu\/en\/2025\/12\/01\/100-eves-a-magyar-radio\/","title":{"rendered":"100 years of Hungarian Radio"},"content":{"rendered":"

On 1 December 1925, 100 years ago, Hungarian Radio began regular broadcasting. However, the history of Hungarian broadcasting began earlier, on 15 February 1893, with the launch of the Telephone News Service, whose founder was the Hungarian inventor Tivadar Pusk\u00e1s. Unfortunately, Pusk\u00e1s died shortly after the service was launched, on 16 March 1893. His company was bought by Istv\u00e1n Popper, who attracted external investors and floated it on the stock exchange in 1896. Telephone News Agency Ltd.<\/a> The paper paid a dividend of 2.5 crowns on its 100-crown face value in 1897 and 1898, but no one wanted to sell it, so no bonds were really created, and trading ceased in 1903.<\/p>\n

Telefonh\u00edrmond\u00f3 was initially a programme broadcast via the telephone network and then via its own cable network. It is linked to the history of the stock exchange in that, from the outset, it broadcast stock market data every hour, as well as a summary of the performance of foreign stock exchanges in the evenings. While the press generally reported exchange rates with a one-day delay, Telefonh\u00edrmond\u00f3 reported them within an hour, allowing investors to react within the same day. Stock market news was sometimes broadcast even during regular programming, but this did not please everyone, as evidenced by this contemporary article:<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is <\/span>a <\/span>Telephone <\/span>Newsletter <\/span>still <\/span>one <\/span>secret. <\/span>This <\/span>a <\/span>signal. <\/span>As many as <\/span>station <\/span>only <\/span>there is <\/span>In Budapest, <\/span>from <\/span>all<\/span>how many <\/span>at once <\/span>speaks. <\/span>Something <\/span>peculiar <\/span>buzzer <\/span>spice-like <\/span>sound <\/span>this, <\/span>which <\/span>warns. <\/span>During the day <\/span>this <\/span>a <\/span>alert <\/span>sign <\/span>then <\/span>speak <\/span>meg, <\/span>a<\/span>when <\/span>something <\/span>important <\/span>news, <\/span>interesting <\/span>event <\/span>give <\/span>before <\/span>yourself, <\/span>or <\/span>such <\/span>surprise <\/span>getting ready <\/span>from <\/span>subscribers <\/span>for, <\/span>which <\/span>from <\/span>occasion <\/span>gave birth <\/span>suddenly, <\/span>castle<\/span>lanul. <\/span>Let's say, <\/span>that <\/span>one <\/span>famous <\/span>singer <\/span>morning <\/span>el<\/span>decide <\/span>yourself, <\/span>that <\/span>at noon <\/span>a few <\/span>song <\/span>ad <\/span>before <\/span>a <\/span>Telephone <\/span>Newsletter <\/span>on his way. <\/span>A <\/span>audience <\/span>difficult <\/span>would be <\/span>about this <\/span>notify, <\/span>however <\/span>many people <\/span>would regret, <\/span>if <\/span>fail to do <\/span>this. <\/span>A <\/span>signal <\/span>do it <\/span>now <\/span>this <\/span>a <\/span>service <\/span>and <\/span>a few <\/span>minute <\/span>under <\/span>from <\/span>whole <\/span>town <\/span>you know, <\/span>that <\/span>we <\/span>is being prepared, <\/span>when. <\/span>But <\/span>big <\/span>service <\/span>fulfil <\/span>evening. <\/span>Even <\/span>a <\/span>past <\/span>in the year <\/span>a lot <\/span>complaint <\/span>given <\/span>reason, <\/span>that <\/span>a <\/span>popular theatre <\/span>lectures <\/span>a <\/span>Frankfurt <\/span>stock exchange <\/span>because of <\/span>interrupt. <\/span>This <\/span>a <\/span>stock exchange report <\/span>large-boned<\/span>accuracy <\/span>and <\/span>from <\/span>subscribers <\/span>big <\/span>part <\/span>interested in, <\/span>on the other hand <\/span>annoyed <\/span>those, <\/span>those who <\/span>more <\/span>appreciate <\/span>a <\/span>Mountain <\/span>Aranka <\/span>or <\/span>K\u00fcry <\/span>Kl\u00e1ra <\/span>singing <\/span>from <\/span>whole <\/span>stock exchange<\/span>at noon. <\/span>From <\/span>operatic <\/span>at lectures <\/span>this <\/span>a <\/span>interruption <\/span>still <\/span>more unpleasantly <\/span>affected <\/span>would be, <\/span>but <\/span>helps <\/span>on it <\/span>a <\/span>signal. <\/span>Simply <\/span>wait for <\/span>a <\/span>Frankfurt <\/span>telegram <\/span>arrival <\/span>After <\/span>a <\/span>first <\/span>break, <\/span>lecture <\/span>public<\/span>in <\/span>often <\/span>indicate, <\/span>that <\/span>now <\/span>audible <\/span>a <\/span>frank<\/span>furti <\/span>courses. <\/span>This <\/span>in a jiffy <\/span>end <\/span>there is, <\/span>we<\/span>before <\/span>still <\/span>from <\/span>finger <\/span>act <\/span>began <\/span>would be <\/span>s <\/span>with this <\/span>both <\/span>half <\/span>who <\/span>there is <\/span>satisfied. <\/span>On our necks <\/span>from <\/span>autumn <\/span>cold <\/span>evenings. <\/span>Search <\/span>a <\/span>company, <\/span>a <\/span>temper <\/span>everywhere, <\/span>kin<\/span>chat <\/span>deserves, <\/span>a <\/span>who <\/span>to our house <\/span><\/em>bring it.\u201d<\/em> \u2013 excerpt from the 16 October 1896 issue of Magyarorsz\u00e1g.<\/span><\/p>\n

The programme for a day in 1897 is shown in the table below (source: H\u00f3d-Mez\u0151-V\u00e1s\u00e1rhely, 7 November 1897):<\/p>\n

9:30\u201410:00 <\/span>Agenda, <\/span>Viennese <\/span>and <\/span>foreign <\/span>news, (<\/span>full<\/span>fon<\/span>-notification) <\/span>at night <\/span>came <\/span>telegrams. <\/span>Hiva<\/span>talos <\/span>sheet <\/span>news.
\n<\/span><\/em>10:00 a.m.\u2014 <\/span>10.30 <\/span>Stock exchange report<\/span>.
\n<\/span><\/em>10:30\u201411:00 <\/span>Newspaper review, <\/span>more interesting <\/span>news, <\/span>telegrams.
\n<\/span><\/em>11:00 a.m.\u2014 <\/span>11.15 <\/span>Stock exchange report<\/span>.
\n<\/span><\/em>11:15\u201411:30 <\/span>Local <\/span>and <\/span>theatrical <\/span>news. <\/span>Sport.
\n<\/span><\/em>11:30 a.m.\u2014 <\/span>11.45 <\/span>Stock exchange report<\/span>.
\n<\/span><\/em>11:45 \u2014<\/span>12.00 <\/span>National Assembly, <\/span>rural <\/span>and <\/span>foreign <\/span>news.
\n<\/span><\/em>12:00\u201412:30 <\/span>National Assembly, <\/span>courtly, <\/span>political, <\/span>military <\/span>news.
\n<\/span><\/em>12:30 p.m.\u2014 <\/span>1.30 <\/span>Stock exchange report<\/span>.
\n<\/span><\/em>1.30\u2014 <\/span>2.00 <\/span>From <\/span>so far <\/span>read <\/span>interesting <\/span>news <\/span>repetition.
\n<\/span><\/em>2.00\u2014 <\/span>2.30 <\/span>National Assembly, <\/span>judicial <\/span>news, <\/span>t\u00e1-<\/span>flowers.
\n<\/span><\/em>2.30\u2014 <\/span>3.00 <\/span>National Assembly, <\/span>local <\/span>news, <\/span>telegrams.
\n<\/span><\/em>3.00\u2014 <\/span>3.15 <\/span>Stock exchange report<\/span>.
\n<\/span><\/em>3.15\u2014 <\/span>4.00 <\/span>Accurate <\/span>time, <\/span>weather, <\/span>parliament, <\/span>interest<\/span>lesser <\/span>discs, <\/span>forensic <\/span>and <\/span>mixed <\/span>news.
\n<\/span><\/em>4.00\u2014 <\/span>4.30 <\/span>Stock exchange report<\/span>.
\n<\/span><\/em>4 <\/span>30\u2014 <\/span>5.00 <\/span>Vienna <\/span>newspapers <\/span>news. <\/span>Financial <\/span>and <\/span>gas<\/span>economic <\/span>news.
\n<\/span><\/em>5.00\u2014 <\/span>5.30 <\/span>Theatres, <\/span>sport, <\/span>art, <\/span>fashion, <\/span>iro<\/span>song, <\/span>programmes. <\/span>Local <\/span>mixed <\/span>news, <\/span>telegrams.
\n<\/span><\/em>5.30\u2014 <\/span>6.30 <\/span>From <\/span>English, <\/span>French <\/span>and <\/span>Italian <\/span>language <\/span>order<\/span>multiple <\/span>presentation <\/span>and <\/span>teaching <\/span>and <\/span>however: <\/span>5.30\u2014 <\/span>6.00 <\/span>English <\/span>language: <\/span>on Monday, <\/span>on Wednesday, <\/span>on Friday. <\/span>6:00 a.m.\u2014 <\/span>6.30 <\/span>French: Monday, Wednesday, Friday<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>6.30\u2014 <\/span>6.30 <\/span>Italian <\/span>language: <\/span>Tuesday, <\/span>Thursday, <\/span>Saturday,
\n<\/span><\/em>7.00 <\/span>at point <\/span>or <\/span>from <\/span>Opera House, <\/span>or <\/span>a <\/span>People<\/span>theatre <\/span>lectures <\/span>can be heard. <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Contemporary photographs clearly show the telephone and the iron stands holding the telephone news cables on the roof of the stock exchange building on Szabads\u00e1g Square:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Istv\u00e1n Popper later sold Telefon-Hirmond\u00f3 to Magyar T\u00e1virati Iroda Rt., which renamed it Magyar Telefonhirmond\u00f3 \u00e9s R\u00e1di\u00f3 Rt. With the advent of radio technology, cable distribution was gradually replaced by broadcasting. The last subscribers to Telefonh\u00edrmond\u00f3 were hospitals, when the service was finally discontinued in 1945.<\/p>\n

Numerous programmes have been produced to mark the centenary, providing further information on the early and later history of radio for those interested in the subject.<\/p>\n

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