On its 75th foundation…Radio Damascus is the home of all Arab radio stations

Radio Damascus, which celebrates its 75th foundation, launched from a simple building in Baghdad Street in the center of the capital Damascus , with a small technical team and simple equipment, was to be the third radio station established in the Arab world and the first radio to broadcast live and provide news briefs in one minute.

In the first years of Radio Damascus, its broadcast was limited to two hours a day, but it was enough to host a number of the most famous Syrian and Arab artists, composers and musicians. 

In 1956, Radio Damascus expanded its broadcast to include the entire Syrian lands and the neighboring Arab countries.

It has adopted Arab causes to support other countries in their hard crisis within the framework of its belief in nationalism and unity and its eternal message as it hosted in its studios in Damascus the broadcast of  Egypt  Radio station and Palestine Radio .

“Radio Damascus is one of the first and most important Arab radio stations and has a great place in the minds of Arabs and Syrians, especially as it enjoys credibility that makes it a source of political, cultural and local news” Head of the Radio Drama Department at the General Organization of Radio and Television, director Basel Youssef, explained to SANA .  

He stressed through Radio Damascus the Radio drama was introduces as its dramatic programs received an Arab presence and remained a school and an example to follow for training and developing language and technical skills, expressing his pride in being part of this school, which produced senior media professionals.

Journalist and poet Jamal Al-Jaish, who worked in this radio station for many years, said in a statement to SANA: “This media edifice has remained as we have known it since it has broadcast  for the first time “Here is Damascus”.

He stressed it carried over the decades a strong spirit that resisted the great challenges that it faced with steadfastness and victories and its distinction of sincerity the word and the situation, pointing out that it was the house of his dreams, the bridge for his soul to cross into the world, and the voice of his heart.  

The journalist Mahmoud Al-Juma`at has worked at  Radio Damascus for forty years and still works there. He described it as a tributary of local and Arab radio stations with its cadres in all media and technical specializations .

Al-Juma’at expresses his hope that Radio Damascus will remain the pioneer of the arts and home of the committed, honest media that respects the media’s conscience.  

Rawaa  Ghanam