The first Slovenian radio play dates back to the year 1928 and was actually a theatre performance that took place in a radio studio. In the 1930s, however, it became an artistic genre, with the first original radio plays being produced.

The genre has created a rich history and has had an important influence on international culture, with works written by Slovenian authors being translated into numerous languages. The recordings of Radio Slovenija have been typically praised at international festivals as top quality. What is more, the work of its creative teams has been awarded with many prizes at festivals worldwide. The radio archive has accumulated more than 4,000 radio plays of different genres in this relatively short period.

A quick glance at the current position of radio play in Slovenia reveals a different picture. In terms of creativity, the genre is still full of vitality and can be internationally competitive but is struggling with being ignored by the media: there is no critical reflection – which had been very much alive for a few decades but died out more than a decade ago –, despite its ambition to look to the future with optimism. A valuable genre thus remains stuck on the periphery of media attention.

A. J., MMC; translated by K. Z.