Cold War Radio : The Russian Broadcasts of the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Cold War Radio is a fascinating look at how the United States waged the Cold War through the international broadcasting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). Mark G. Pomar served in senior positions at VOA and RFE/RL from 1982 to 1993, during which time the Reagan and Bush administrations made VOA and RFE/RL an important part of their foreign policy. VOA is America's "national voice," broadcasting in more than forty languages, and is charged with explaining U.S. government policies and telling America's story with the aim of gaining the respect and goodwill of its target audience. During the Cold War, the VOA Russian Service broadcast twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. RFE/RL is a private corporation, funded until 1971 by the CIA and afterward through open congressional appropriations. It broadcast in more than twenty languages of Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia and functioned as a "home service" located abroad. Its Russian Service broadcast news, feature programming, and op-eds that would have been part of daily political discourse if Russia had free media. Pomar takes readers inside the two radio stations to show how the broadcasts were conceived and developed and the impact they had on international broadcasting, U.S.-Soviet relations, Russian political and cultural history, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Pomar provides nuanced analysis of the broadcasts and sheds light on the multifaceted role the radios played during the Cold War, ranging from instruments of U.S. Cold War policy to repositories of independent Russian culture, literature, philosophy, religion, and the arts. Cold War Radio breaks new ground as Pomar integrates his analysis of Cold War radio programming with the long-term aims of U.S. foreign policy, illuminating the role of radio in the peaceful end of the Cold War. Cold War Radio is a fascinating look at how the UnitedStates waged the Cold War through the international broadcasting ofVoice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty(RFE/RL). Mark G. Pomar served in senior positions at VOA andRFE/RL from 1982 to 1993, during which time the Reagan and Bushadministrations made VOA and RFE/RL an important part of theirforeign policy. VOA is America's "national voice," broadcasting inmore than forty languages, and is charged with explaining U.S.government policies and telling America's story with the aim ofgaining the respect and goodwill of its target audience. During theCold War, the VOA Russian Service broadcast twenty-four hours aday, seven days a week. RFE/RL is a private corporation, fundeduntil 1971 by the CIA and afterward through open congressionalappropriations. It broadcast in more than twenty languages ofCentral and Eastern Europe and Eurasia and functioned as a "homeservice" located abroad. Its Russian Service broadcast news,feature programming, and op-eds that would have been part of dailypolitical discourse if Russia had free media. Pomar takes readersinside the two radio stations to show how the broadcasts wereconceived and developed and the impact they had on internationalbroadcasting, U.S.-Soviet relations, Russian political and culturalhistory, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Pomar providesnuanced analysis of the broadcasts and sheds light on themultifaceted role the radios played during the Cold War, rangingfrom instruments of U.S. Cold War policy to repositories ofindependent Russian culture, literature, philosophy, religion, andthe arts. Cold War Radio breaks new ground as Pomarintegrates his analysis of Cold War radio programming with thelong-term aims of U.S. foreign policy, illuminating the role ofradio in the peaceful end of the Cold War "Cold War Radio is a concise look at the history of Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and their impact on the Soviet Union during the Cold War"-- Provided by publisher. Cold War Radio is an overview of Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and how the United States waged the Cold War through international broadcasting.