LRT Radio turns 100: from first words to digital era
Lithuania's public broadcaster LRT celebrates 100 years of radio, marking key milestones from the first broadcast in 1926 to modern digital platforms.
LRT Radio, Lithuania's public broadcaster, is celebrating its centenary. The first radio broadcast took place on June 12, 1926, in Kaunas with the words "Hello, hello – Lithuanian Radio – Kaunas." At that time, the country had only 323 radio receivers. Listeners sent greeting postcards, but rumors spread that radio waves disrupted nature and even caused storms.
The arrival of television
On April 30, 1957, at 19:45, Lithuanian Television began broadcasting, announcing: "Attention, attention, this is Vilnius speaking and showing." The first announcers were Gražina Bigelytė and Juozas Baranauskas. Baranauskas famously presented a program with his feet in a basin of cold water due to the heat from studio lights; he recalled doing so during JFK's 1961 meeting with Khrushchev.
Enduring programs
On September 28, 1957, the radio program "Nature, Hunting and Fishing" (later "Nature – Everyone's Home") first aired and remains on air. On October 21, 1962, a rural-life program began, evolving into "Native Land" (Gimtoji Žemė). On December 25, 1965, the live TV serial "The Petraitis Family" premiered, emptying streets during broadcasts. It was directed by Galina Dauguvietytė.
Iconic figures
In 1969, Bernadeta Lukošiūtė (Aunt Beta) joined LRT and from 1975 hosted children's shows like "Good Night, Children." Panorama, the longest-running news program, started on January 6, 1970. The four-part film "Tadas Blinda" aired in March 1973, and the children's music competition "Dainų Dainelė" began on February 10, 1974. On January 27, 1977, the first live color program "TV Forumas" was broadcast.
Years of change
Eglė Bučelytė started working at LRT in 1986, later becoming a Panorama presenter. The morning show "Labas Rytas" began on November 30, 1987. The children's program "Tele Bim-Bam" launched in 1990. On January 13, 1991, Soviet forces occupied the Radio and Television building. The drama "Relatives" (Giminės) premiered on March 24, 1993, outperforming "Santa Barbara" in ratings.
Eurovision, awards, and new channels
Lithuania debuted at Eurovision in 1994, and the first LRT Golden Bee awards were presented that year. In 1997, journalist Algimantas Čekuolis started his long-running show, which ended in 2016; he died in April 2025. The morning radio program "Ryto Garsai" began in 1998, and LRT KLASIKA was established. "Gustavo Enciklopedija" first aired in October 1999.
Digital age
LRT.lt was launched on July 10, 2000. In 2001, announcer positions were abolished; only about 40 radio and 12 TV announcers had ever worked in Lithuania. LRT OPUS started on September 1, 2006. In 2023, LRT introduced LRT EPIKA, a free streaming platform for films and series.
