Italian regional broadcaster Radio Bruno has opened an exhibition in its home city of Carpi to mark its 50th anniversary. According to Italian radio industry publication Radiospeaker.it, “50 anni di Radio Bruno — 1976/2026 — La nostra storia” traces the station’s development and its relationship with generations of listeners. The free exhibition runs at Palazzo dei Pio through Sept. 13.
Radio Bruno began operating from a country house in Carpi in 1976 and now broadcasts across Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and parts of Lombardy, Veneto, Liguria and Marche. Rather than presenting a strictly chronological account, the exhibition uses five themed stations to connect the broadcaster’s history with its audience. The themes explore Radio Bruno’s local ties, community initiatives, Italian summers, travel, relationships and the songs associated with significant memories.
Production company 21 Make It Count designed the exhibition around immersive installations, multimedia content and audio portals. An immersive room features a large LED wall, while photographs, documents and original broadcast equipment illustrate the station’s technical and editorial development. The exhibits include Radio Bruno’s 1970s-era mixer, which later appeared in Luciano Ligabue’s 1998 film “Radiofreccia.”
Two reconstructed studios allow visitors to use microphones and records and experience presenting a live radio program
Two reconstructed studios allow visitors to use microphones and records and experience presenting a live radio program. One recreates Radio Bruno’s original 1976 studio using period equipment. A recording booth also invites visitors to complete the sentence “I was with Radio Bruno when…,” with the station planning to turn the collected contributions into new radio content.
Radio Bruno publisher Gianni Prandi noted that the exhibition’s location is particularly significant because the station began near Carpi’s central square. “It will not be a celebratory exhibition. The listeners will be at its center,” he said. Carpi Mayor Riccardo Righi described the broadcaster as a source of pride for the city.
Radio Bruno presenters will appear during the exhibition, while the anniversary program also includes a new book. “Radio Bruno. Chiamala per nome! 1976–2026,” published by Giunti, recounts the station’s history through photographs, personal accounts and anecdotes. Together, the exhibition, recordings and book position the anniversary as a shared archive of the broadcaster and its audience.
These stories might interest you
Radio Futures champions the intelligent signal
