6 euro – 75 years since the establishment of the national radio foundation

The radio era was officially launched in Greece with the establishment of the National Radio Foundation (EIR) on 16 July 1945. Meanwhile, the Athens Radio Station, under the supervision of the Radio Broadcasting Service, had already begun transmitting from its Zappeion location in 1938. The station’s interlude signal “Tsompanakos” (shepherd’s tune) and opening message “Athens here” would reach ever-increasing audiences across Greece, as local stations were gradually set up in other cities. 1952 saw the launch of a “Second Programme”, focused on entertainment, while the “First Programme” remained primarily news-oriented. A “Third Programme”, unveiled in 1954, mainly broadcast classical music at first but, under the inspired direction of composer Manos Hadjidakis (1975-1982), evolved into a genuine culture hub. With the advent of television, EIR was renamed ‘National Radio and Television Foundation’ (ΕΙRΤ) and later ‘Hellenic Radio-Television’ (ΕRΤ), never failing to provide quality information and entertainment and playing an important role in shaping the cultural identity of contemporary Greece.