Founded on 1 October 1950 as the Terzo programma, it was loosely based on its British namesake, the BBC Third Programme, which had been established in 1946.

[1] Radio 3 is a thematic channel focused on the cultural sphere, within the scope of classical music and avant-garde music (including live concerts), drama, literature, readings of classic works, history, economics, philosophy, religion, mythology, art and cinema.

Until September 2017, at night, at the end of the program schedule, the network connects with Rai Radio 3 Classica, a cable radio, Dab+, DTT and internet channel broadcasting classical music.

[2] It broadcast one of the long-lived strips of classical music, "Concerto ogni sera" (A concert every evening), then "Concerto della sera" (The evening's concert), which aired from 4 January 1953 to December 1977, around 19.15.

Beforehand, from 1951 to 1953 aired "Concerto d'apertura" (Opening concert) at 20.30, which was replaced by "Spazio Tre".