Bulgarian Ports
Infrastructure Company

Varna Radio Station (LZW) reunited several generations of friends at the 70^th anniversary on December 12, 2017. The festive day was filled with many exciting emotions, hearty greetings, sentimental moments, a dose of nostalgia, but with a look at the future. 
The official celebration, organized by Bulgarian Ports Infrastructure Company (BPI Co.), took place in the building of Coastal Centre for vessel traffic management and information services for shipping. Varna Radio celebrated the anniversary in the company of Mr. Hristo Ivanov – Deputy Mayor of Varna Municipality, Mr. Ivan Karagyozov – Deputy Regional Governor, Ms. Kalina Belmezova – Mayor of Asparuhovo District, veterans from the early years of the radio station and representatives of the marine community. 
“Varna Radio will exist for a long time because it is unthinkable to provide maritime and aviation safety without the modern communication links and the station fully meets all the criteria”. This was announced by the Director General of BPI Co. Mr. Anguel Zabourtov at the ceremonial opening of the event. He greeted all those working in the radio station and wished them many new successes. The veterans from the industry recalled the fascinating story of the coastal station and told how the transition from the Morse Key and the headphones to the latest technology had happened. .
The Varna Radio coastal station was established in 1947 and the date of December 12 is significant. It marks not only the first successful broadcasts, but also the call signal LZW, which is still used today. 
From a very small radio station with one transmitter and one receiver for servicing 1-2 ships in our (territorial) waters, in the 70s of the XX century “Varna Radio” became a modern station equipped with the most modern in our time technique. Since 1995 LZW has been active in the Global Maritime Distress and Safety Systems (GMDSS), initially in Zone А2 of VHF only for Varna and Burgas, and since 2004 – in full zone А1 of VHF for the whole coastline. The radio station actively cooperates with the Marine Rescue Coordination Centre and ships at sea. 
In 2008 the radio station passes into BPI Co, which is a prerequisite for its further development and modernization. With the implementation of Phase 3 of the VTMIS project in 2015 Bulgarian Ports Infrastructure Company built the new GMDSS Operational Centre. It manages resources remotely in RRS Kichevo and RRS Kitka, including the international NAVTEX system broadcasting for Bulgaria and for Romania by decision of the International Maritime Organization. All VHF stations all over the coast are also managed by it. 
At present, the coastal radio station is housed in the modern building of the VTIMS Coastal centre – Varna built by BPI Co. After 2015 equipped with the modern technology and software of the avant-garde of the electronic, communication and information technologies in the world, the activity of Varna Radio is already at the level of the world’s most technologically advanced radio stations and as part of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System successfully continues its work on protecting the maritime environment and human life at sea.