Vardø radio has a history stretching back to 1921, and the first station was operative in 1923. The old station functioned right up until the new one was set up in 1967, aside from a two-year break around the end of the Second World War. Once the new building was ready, Vardø radio eventually took over what had previously been the responsibilities of the smaller stations along the coast, such as Berlevåg, Mehamn, Hammerfest and Tromsø radio.