The first Uruguayan national broadcaster, SODRE (Official Radio Broadcasting Service), was inaugurated in 1929, and its first station, CX6 650 AM (now Radio Clásica), launched on 1 April 1930.

Two additional AM services were added: CX26 1050 AM Radio Uruguay, a national speech station, and CX38 1290 AM Cultura, focused on music.

They have since been joined by Babel, an instrumental music station.

As a result of a reorganization of public media in Uruguay, the new Servicio de Comunicación Audiovisual Nacional [es] (National Audiovisual Communication Service) was created in 2015, unifying formerly separate radio, film, and television agencies.

Most of the rest of the country is served by a network of regional repeaters that primarily airs programs from Radio Uruguay.