The Day of Radio and Television Workers is observed in Kyrgyzstan every December 8. This professional holiday commemorates the opening of the Bishkek television station in 1958, marking the first broadcast of a television program in the country. Initially, the Bishkek TV station aired just one hour of programming a few days a week in black and white and in both Russian and Kyrgyz. By 1979, daily broadcasts were accessible to nearly all localities in Kyrgyzstan. Radio broadcasting began earlier, with the establishment of the Republican Committee on Radio Broadcast in 1931. The holiday was officially established by the Kyrgyz government in December 1995, with the first celebration occurring in 1996. Although it is a significant occasion for telecommunication employees, it is not a non-working day. On this day, government officials typically extend their congratulations to those working in the telecommunications sector.