In a time before ubiquitous sound, Sweden experienced a quieter existence. Lars Gustafsson’s 1982 poetry collection, ”World’s Silence Before Bach,” evokes the pervasive stillness of this pre-radio era. Kitchens were hushed spaces, where whistling might have been the only sound breaking the quiet solitude. This tranquil backdrop emphasizes the dramatic impact of the nascent radio technology. Imagine, then, the sudden intrusion of a voice – ”Hello, hello, Stockholm Radio” – the first words broadcast by AB Radiotjänst, the precursor to Sveriges Radio (SR). This momentous occasion, occurring at five minutes to eleven on New Year’s Day, 1925, marked the end of an era and the birth of a new sonic landscape in Sweden. The voice belonged to 29-year-old Sven Jerring, a name destined to become synonymous with Swedish radio broadcasting.
While the exact number of listeners tuned in for this historical moment remains unknown, around 40,000 registered radio receivers existed in Sweden at the time. These early adopters paid an annual license fee of 12 kronor, equivalent to approximately 400 kronor today, for the privilege of accessing this revolutionary new medium. The first day’s programming featured a morning church service, followed by an afternoon broadcast with the Skandia Orchestra, vocals by Gunnar Grip, and a speech by Per Södermark, Chairman of the Radio Council. Södermark’s address expressed hope for wider radio accessibility, ensuring that no home would be deprived due to financial constraints. He promised that Radiotjänst would strive to fulfill its crucial cultural mission as access to receivers improved. Sadly, these initial broadcasts were not recorded due to technological limitations. However, fifteen years later, Jerring and Södermark reminisced about the historic day in a radio segment, preserved and available on SR’s website, ”Utvalda ögonblick,” a repository of significant moments in SR’s history.
The silence of Swedish daily life had been irrevocably broken. However, the convenience of instantly accessible radio broadcasts remained a distant reality. In its early years, Radiotjänst broadcast for just a few hours each day from borrowed premises in Stockholm. By 1933, broadcast hours had increased to eight per day, a significant expansion but still far from the constant stream of programming available today. Recognizing radio’s potential as a powerful mass medium, the Swedish state, inspired by the British model, established Radiotjänst as a public service broadcaster in 1924. This move aimed to control the content broadcast, initially granting the state a monopoly over radio broadcasting. The press, initially fearing obsolescence in the face of this new technology, became stakeholders in Radiotjänst, along with Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå (TT) and representatives of the radio industry. This partnership ensured the press’s influence over the state radio, with TT even holding exclusive rights to radio news broadcasts until 1947.
Fast forward to the present, and SR, having lost its monopoly, now competes in a vastly different media landscape. Despite the proliferation of platforms and a growing desire for quiet amidst the constant noise, SR maintains a strong listener base. Their latest public service report reveals that 7.3 million Swedes, representing 77% of the population, engage with their broadcasts, podcasts, and programs weekly. This enduring popularity highlights radio’s continued relevance in the digital age. As SR celebrates its centenary, they plan to honor their past while looking towards the future. Tomas Hedenius, SR’s Director of Communications, emphasizes the anniversary as an opportunity to engage with listeners, seeking their feedback and opinions. The celebrations will include special programming, a focus on young listeners, events, and a grand concert by the Radio Choir in Berwaldhallen, SR’s concert hall, also celebrating its centennial. They have already launched the ”Keep Listening” campaign, underscoring the personal connection many listeners have with radio.
The year 2024 presented significant challenges for SR, with budget cuts leading to program cancellations, job losses, and the closure of entire editorial departments. Listeners mourned the loss of beloved programs like ”Gardening with P1” and ”People and Faith.” These cuts highlighted the financial pressures facing public service broadcasting in the modern media environment. Despite these difficulties, SR’s history reveals a capacity for adaptation. The arrival of television in the 1950s, and later the emergence of commercial radio stations and pirate radio in the 1960s, forced SR to evolve. They responded to the popularity of music on pirate stations by launching ”Melodiradion,” demonstrating a responsiveness to audience preferences. This adaptability, according to Martin Björkman, Chairman of the West Sweden Radio Historical Society, has been key to SR’s survival. However, he questions whether this adaptability can withstand the ever-increasing pressure from market forces in the long run.
Radio’s evolution is perhaps most evident in the shift away from the physical radio receiver. As Elin Franzén, an ethnologist, discovered through her research, radio has become integrated into our daily lives through smartphones and other devices. For many, SR is simply another app or website, existing alongside other media outlets. Franzén suggests that the physical presence of a radio receiver fosters a different kind of listening habit, a more constant presence of the medium in daily life. This shift is reflected in SR’s ”Keep Listening” campaign, where radios are largely absent, replaced by images of headphones and mobile phones. The radio receiver, once a centerpiece in Swedish homes, is now a relic of the past, displayed in museums like the Radio Museum in Gothenburg, where younger visitors often encounter them for the first time, a stark reminder of how quickly technology and media consumption habits evolve. From the hushed kitchens of the pre-radio era to the ubiquitous presence of audio content on our mobile devices, the story of Sveriges Radio is a story of technological and social transformation, reflecting the changing soundscape of a nation.
