Also: note that the address shown on the large sample letter, which Reagan holds up to let viewers know where to send in their donations, contains no numbers. U.S. postal ZIP codes were not introduced until the 1960s.
Radio Free Europe Advertisement (1971)
This 30-second television spot highlights a young Hungarian journalist and his "news with a beat" broadcasts to his countrymen in communist Hungary:
This Is Radio Free Europe (1964)
This 30-minute film gives a fascinating look at Radio Free Europe’s day-to-day operations, audience research, technical production and transmission capabilities in the early 1960s.
Highlights:
- Clips of broadcasters reading the news in various languages, including Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Romanian, and Bulgarian (2:20-3:15).
- From 13:00 to 14:20, you can see a video clip of the the "American-Exile Planning Board" meetings, which were held every morning. We still have daily Editorial Meetings, though they do look a little different nowadays.
- A clip of a Polish pianist playing his "original RFE composition, based on a Polish folk song" live in an RFE studio (15:47-16:21).
- The closing line -- "Remember, the Iron Curtain isn't soundproof. Radio Free Europe gets the truth through." (26:47)
The Most Incredible Challenge (1965)
A far more emotionally evocative and artistic effort than This Is Radio Free Europe, this 30-minute film warns of the danger that the creeping communist threat poses to the free world, and especially the American way of life. After describing the sinister nature of the communist enemy, the narrator says: "In an era where war is unthinkable, perhaps the only recourse against such opponents is to change them -- the most incredible challenge of all."
The film then goes on to describe the "heroic, selfless" efforts of Radio Liberty employees who broadcast uncensored news, commentary, and analysis to the Soviet Union:
Also of interest is the film's description of the upside of Soviet efforts to jam Radio Liberty's signal:
The film ends with rousing music accompanied by an on-screen quotation from the New Testament: "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. (John 8:32)"
For more vintage photos of RFE/RL operations, check out our "History" slideshow.
--Alex Mayer and Zach Peterson