The development and spread of pop music since the 1950s has been an important factor that has transformed the relationship between music and radio broadcasting. This transformation has become particularly evident in European countries, where there were public monopolies on broadcasting in this period. Hence, in the emergence of a process that has questioned the attitudes of public service broadcasters towards popular music genres and, more generally, their dominant understanding of broadcasting, pop music has played an important role. In this context, it is important to question the development and spread of this music genre, which is called “light Western music” in Turkey, in terms of radio broadcasting. This study investigates how the development of pop music in Turkey from the 1950s to the 1970s affected the relationship between radio and music, which was shaped on the basis of official cultural policies. Additionally, the inclusion of pop music on state radios raises inquiries about how radio broadcasting is positioned institutionally and culturally.