Rádio Globo celebrates its 80-year journey while staying tuned to the future - O GLOBO

"This is not merely a radio station we inaugurate today. It's a new service of O GLOBO to the nation, now expanding," summarized journalist Roberto Marinho on the evening of December 1, 1944, during a ceremony at the Municipal Theater in Rio, featuring a grand concert by pianist Magdalena Tagliaferro and the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, marking Rádio Globo's debut.

The opening statement emphasized a commitment to journalism that serves society, offering news and public service information, as conceived by Roberto Marinho's father, journalist Irineu Marinho, when he founded O GLOBO in 1925. Officially inaugurated the next morning, December 2, Rádio Globo today celebrates 80 years of maintaining close ties with its audience while looking to the future, distributing content via radio, mobile phones, computers, and various online platforms.

Rádio Globo, the seed of Sistema Globo de Rádio (SGR), which includes CBN (focused on news) and BH FM, and even of TV Globo itself (the TV channel's license was secured by the radio in 1957 and launched in 1965), is the first enterprise Roberto Marinho created after taking over O GLOBO in 1931 following Eurycles de Mattos's death. Irineu Marinho had died just weeks after founding the newspaper, leaving his 20-year-old son to eventually lead both ventures. In his inaugural speech, Roberto Marinho viewed the radio as an extension of the newspaper and encouraged collaboration between the two media. He established daily programs like "O GLOBO no ar" in 1944 and "Seu Redator-chefe" in the 1960s, featuring newspaper content, as O GLOBO approaches its centennial in 2025.

— Rádio Globo was born from a blend of news, services, and music dissemination, closely aligned with O GLOBO, aiming to speed up news delivery to the public — says Frederic Kachar, general director of Editora Globo and Sistema Globo de Rádio. — There was significant synergy from the start, which persisted for decades.

This synergy was evident in memorable moments, such as the coverage of World War II by O GLOBO correspondent Egydio Squeff, who published his reports in the newspaper and narrated the daily events of the conflict on the radio from Italy, where Brazilian soldiers were stationed. Notably, on December 3, the day after its inauguration, the station broadcast the first football match between São Paulo and Rio teams for the Brazilian Championship of Selections to troops in Europe.

Football is also a cornerstone of the station, remembered for its brilliant sports commentators and announcers over the years, such as Luiz Mendes (who started at the station's inauguration), Mário Vianna, João Saldanha, Waldir Amaral, Jorge Curi, Washington Rodrigues, and José Carlos Araújo, among others. Many catchphrases coined by them (like Amaral's "o relógio marca...") became part of everyday language.

— I grew up listening to Rádio Globo, with a deep emotional connection to following games at Maracanã with it, full of information, — recalls Kachar, reminiscing about the AM era. — And then there was 98 FM, the big youth station, where I recorded hits every day that were unavailable elsewhere at the time."

Since the inaugural concert with celebrated pianist Magdalena Tagliaferro, music has been another cornerstone of Rádio Globo's history, which began with its own symphony orchestra (led by maestro Francisco Mignone) and greatly promoted classical music, reflecting Roberto Marinho's appreciation for it. Brazilian popular music also received equal attention, with the station hosting queens of the golden age of radio in the 1940s and 50s, including Emilinha Borba, Dalva de Oliveira, Ângela Maria, and Marlene. In later decades, the presence of other major artists and successful programs like Haroldo de Andrade's show and Chacrinha's Discoteca maintained its relevance in the field.

Rádio Globo's current programming, reaching nearly two million listeners monthly, has evolved over time, still blending entertainment with everyday news and football, but music remains the highlight, as it does on BH FM, founded in 1977 in Belo Horizonte.

Luciana Lara Domingos, Director of Musical Business, responsible for Rádio Globo and BH FM, notes that radio remains a steadfast companion to the population, a relationship nurtured by "the closeness of communicators and reporters with listeners, in addition to interactivity on social media."

— For 80 years, we've been listening to the public, understanding what they want, and delivering relevant content. Our differential is this mix of credibility, stemming from journalism, combined with music and light entertainment that's close to people's daily lives, — she states. — We're in homes, cars, computers, and mobile devices every day, delivering information with relaxation, quality music, and promotions.

— We aim to become increasingly digital without losing the human touch that has always been our hallmark.

In Rio, the station maintains one of its "original missions," as noted by Kachar, to be popular and promote culture and music. With its operational model more firmly established, Rádio Globo's other original mission of news and analysis is concentrated in CBN — both share the same studio at Editora Globo's headquarters in Rio, producing programs like Futebol Globo CBN.

With 40 stations (four of which are owned) reaching over 1,100 Brazilian cities and 6.5 million listeners every month, CBN — founded in 1991 by José Roberto Marinho, Roberto Marinho's youngest son — also aims "to remain close to listeners, practicing journalism in pursuit of a better country," according to Pedro Dias Leite, the station's news director, the largest in the exclusive news segment in Brazil.

— Radio remains strong in the daily lives of Brazilians. Previously, it was through portable radios or in cars. Now, it's also through podcasts, voice assistants, and cell phones. It's a firm and close relationship that will continue for the next 80 years, always keeping up with technology — he asserts.

Frederic Kachar shares this belief, highlighting the growth of audio listening habits today (in radios, podcasts, music platforms) compared to 20 or 30 years ago, and sees a very promising horizon for the medium.

— The close relationship people have with radio holds great value, but we need to separate our essence from the platforms. Newspapers, for example, are not just paper-based businesses; we distribute content in audio, audiovisual, and other formats, and it's the same for radio — he observes. — The format that brought us here won't carry us forward for another 80 years, but our essence will. We'll maintain Rádio Globo's ability to curate music, to be a companion to people, and incorporate other skills that allow us to perform across various platforms.

Rádio Globo's long history is being celebrated in many ways. The station's website features historical audio clips, special jingles, interviews, and testimonials. Today, at noon, the special program "Rádio Globo 80 anos" will present more stories from listeners and professionals who have been part of its journey. Keeping with the tradition of anniversary shows, two events (on December 4 and 5) are scheduled to commemorate the occasion (more information on the station's website).

The radio station is also highlighted on the website that preserves the memory of Grupo Globo. The special presentation showcases the station's journey with captivating stories in areas such as journalism, sports, drama, and music.

The translation of this text into english was carried out by Project Irineu, O GLOBO's initiative to develop artificial intelligence tools. Here is the link to the original report.

The translation of this text into english was carried out by Project Irineu, O GLOBO's initiative to develop artificial intelligence tools. Here is the link to the original report.