Radio Free Europe Celebrates 60th Anniversary

10 November 2009

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On November 4, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a resolution (H. Res. 641) commemorating the 60th anniversary of Radio Free Europe.  Established in the beginning of the Cold War to transmit uncensored news and information to audiences behind the “Iron Curtain,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), funded by the U.S. Government, played a significant role in the collapse of communism and the rise of democracies in post-communist Europe.  Leaders including Lech Wałęsa, Vaclav Havel, Boris Yeltsin, and others repeatedly emphasized RFE’s critical role in bringing down communist governments.  The resolution honors Radio Free Europe’s contribution to promoting freedom and liberty around the world and commends the employees and reporters of RFE/RL for their commitment to provide fair and unbiased news to people living under oppressive regimes.  Radio Free Europe transmitted its first program to the former Czechoslovakia on July 4, 1950.

Today, after having played a significant role in the collapse of communism in the former Soviet Union, RFE/RL continues to provide news, information, and open discussion of domestic and international issues to countries where free and independent media are not permitted, or are not yet fully established.

The resolution states that “RFE/RL has a proven history of promoting freedom and liberty in oppressive and autocratic regimes through news broadcasts based upon the principle that the first requirement of democracy is a well-informed citizenry”

• Full-text of House Resolution 641