During the foundation period of the Republic, the Telegram and Telephone Law was enacted on February 21, 1924, regulating radio broadcasts. Three years later, the first radio broadcasts were made following the installation of two 5 kw. transmitters in Ankara and Istanbul. The Telegram and Telephone Law granted the sole privilege of communication by wireless telephone to the PTT. On September 8, 1926, the first radio concession for broadcasting was granted to the Turkish Wireless Telephone Co., in which the PTT Directorate was a partner for a period of ten years. The Ankara and Istanbul radio transmitters were operated by this company until 1936, when they became a state monopoly. A transmitter of 120 Kw. power was installed in Ankara on October 28, 1938, and the Ankara on October 28, 1938, and the radio broadcasting services were entrusted to the General Directorate of Press Affairs attached to the Prime Ministry. In 1949 a new 150 Kw. transmitter installed in Istanbul began its first broadcasts.

The 1961 Constitution stipulated that the autonomous public agency should operate and supervise radio and television services, for which purpose the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) was set up on May 1, 1964.

The 1961 Constitution stipulated that an autonomous public agency should operate and supervise radio and television services, for which purpose the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) was set up on May 1, 1964.

The 1982 Constitution stipulates that radio and TV stations can only be established by the State, and that their administration will be undertaken by an impartial public corporate body. The TRT Law stipulates that radio and TV broadcasts should not contradict the principles of national policies. The High Board of Radio and Television is composed of twelve members. The chairman of the board is appointed from among the twelve members by the President. Each member has a term of six years. One third of its members are renewed every two years. The Board has a permanent secretarial as well as broadcast evaluation and administrative units.

The headquarters of the TRT are in Ankara, and consist of the Executive Board, General Director and the Coordination Council.

The TRT has the following duties as defined by law:

1. To set up radio and TV stations, to make radio and TV broadcasts and to expand and develop them.
2. To set up the necessary units related to radio and TV broadcasting.
3. To regulate and maintain relations with international radio and TV networks and organizations, and with the approval of the Prime Ministry to sign agreements contracts, and protocols with such organizations.
4. To conduct surveys and research into instruments and equipment to be used in TRT facilities.
5. To give priority to programs which contribute to national education and culture in national broadcasts.
6. In international broadcasts, to produce program promoting the Turkish State in all aspects.

The broadcast center is Radio Ankara and the weekly duration of broadcasts is 164 hours. Radio 1, when called upon in certain regional broadcasts and at specified intervals, also undertakes joint and night broadcasts.

Radio II
Service reaches 97% of the population. Programs here are also devoted mainly to culture, education, drama, music, entertainment, news and sporting events. It has 3 FM and 3 GM transmitters. The broadcasting center is in Istanbul and the weekly duration of the broadcasts is 126 hours.

Radio III
Service reaches 90% of the population and the programs are mainly composed of local and foreign popular music. It broadcasts in stereo via 94 FM transmitters. Its center is Radio Ankara and the weekly duration of broadcasts is 168 hours.

Radio IV
Service reaches out to 90% of the population and programs are composed of Turkish classical music and Turkish folk music. The center is Radio Ankara, and the duration of weekly broadcasts is 112 hours.

Tourism Radio
Service broadcasts to the Antalya, Izmir, Kalkan, Kusadasi, Marmaris, Nevsehir and Pamukkale regions, and programs are composed of music, cultural topics and news. Broadcasts are in English, German and French, in stereo via 7 FM transmitters. The center is in Antalya-Lara and the duration of weekly broadcasts is 61 hours.

Regional Radio Stations
These comprise the Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Antalya, Cukurova, Erzurum, Diyabakir and Trabzon radio stations and GAP Radio which began broadcasting on April 15, 1991. The programs consist of educational cultural drama, musical and entertainment broadcasts in Trabzon,. Diyarbakir and Erzurum is 140 hours. Infrastructure work for the other stations is in progress. When necessary these can be linked to Radio 1.

The Voice of Turkey Radio
Station broadcasts in 16 languages inclusive to Turkish to Europe, the northeastern part of the U.S., Asia, North Africa, the Balkans, Central and Far East Asia and other regions. The center for the broadcasts is in Ankara-Mithatpasa, and the duration of weekly broadcasts is 346 hours.

Turkish Television
Turkish TV, which started in 1968 in black and white, converted to color in July 1982. It has successfully managed to increase not only the number of its channels, but also the quality of its programs and viewing time.

To diversify its programs in line with broadcasting policies, and to produce more effective programs directed towards satisfying its large heterogenous audience, the TRT set up a second channel in October, 1986, a third channel in 1989 together with the GAP TV programs and on January 10, 1990, initiated the "Telegun" programs. On July 30, 1990, the TV-4 channel started trial broadcasts of an educational nature.

While studies are continuing on a domestic cable TV project at home, work has been completed on transmitting programs to Turkish citizens living in Europe, via satellite. On February 28, 1990, TRT-INT (TV V) started broadcasts beamed primarily to Germany but including all of Europe and North Africa.

On April 27, 1992, the TRT AVRASYA television channel has beamed programs via satellite to the Turkic republics in Central Asia and Azerbaijan, which has cemented further the existing cultural and social ties with these countries and formed a solid bridge. Thus TRT broadcasts now inclusive of North Africa, reach all over Europe to the other side of the Asian continent.

According to the Constitution of the Turkish Republic, all radio and television broadcasts are under a state monopoly. However, a gradually increasing number of private television and radio stations have been broadcasting in Turkey from abroad via satellite.

Work on constitutional amendments and new laws concerning the legal establishment of private radio and television stations is almost complete.

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