THIRD PROGRAM

The decision to create a third radio program undoubtedly came from Dionysios Romas. In any case, the wife of the Director of the program, Maria Roma clearly bears this out. In a recording made over the telephone in the autumn of 1998, she said; "He came home one afternoon looking very pleased. I asked him why and he told me that he had decided what to do with a half-broken transmitter that was in the basement at Zappeion and had been there since the German Occupation. We are going to create a Third Program, he told me, that is to broadcast just classical music."

Four months before the start of the Third Program, two months after he had taken charge of the program again, Dionysios Romas wrote a note (10-17 July 1954) entitled "radio". In that, he talked about the problems there were with the radio programs and how to solve them. He also stated that there were many educated people in Greece who were tired of lighthearted programs and were hungry for classical music and serious theatrical programs, literature, philosophy and science. This was his way of saying that there was a gap that needed to be filled. And he proceeded to fill it with the Third Program.

The program for the first day of broadcasting of the Third Program was as follows.

THIRD PROGRAM: 202 Μ. or 1484 kHz.

20.00 OFFICIAL START OF THE THIRD PROGRAM
20.15 GREEK MUSIC HOUR. Festive concert to start by Lavranga. Prelude and Fugue - Varvogli: Shepherds Suite -Skalkota: Cretan dance - Kalomiri: "The Death of Andreiomeni " Speech by the President of the Union of Greek Composers Mr Manolis Kalomiris.
21.00 "Luisa Miller " by Giuseppe Verdi! Opera in three acts. Artists taking part: Giacomo Vaghi, bass, Giacomo Lauri Volpi, tenor, Schipione Calombo, baritone, Lucci Kelstone, soprano, Mimi Giucato Pace, mezzo-soprano. The choir and orchestra of the Italian Radio Station, conducted by Mario Rossi.
23.00 MUSICAL VARIETY
24.00 END OF BROADCASTING