ž
ž
žData
žHistory
žToday

žone of the most comprehensive media organizations in the world
žproduce radio, Internet and television programs in countries where a free press is either banned
by the government or not fully established
žprovide uncensored news, responsible discussion, and open debate
ž

žPlatforms: Radio, Internet, Television
žAudience: 24.6 million/week (radio, web, streaming audio)
žEmployees: 500 at Prague headquarters and Washington office; 400 full-time journalists and 750
freelancers
žBudget: $83,000,000
žCountries: 20
žLanguages: 28
ž

žRFE/RL is a private, nonprofit corporation
žPresident: Jeffrey Gedmin named in 2007
žfunded by the U.S. Congress through the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) (includes Voice
ž     of America,
ž     Radio Free Asia)
ž
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ž

žRFE and RL originally
ž    separate organizations
žfounded in 1950,
ž    broadcast to Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Romania
žthree years later RL began broadcast to the Soviet Union
žbroadcasts to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in 1976
žthe two corporations were merged into RFE/RL, Inc. in 1976
ž
ž

žprovided an unbiased, professional substitute for the free media
žthe programs focused on local news not covered in state-controlled domestic media as well as
religion, science, sports, Western music and locally banned literature and music
žthe programs were produced primarily at the radios’ Munich headquarters and broadcast from
Germany, Spain, Portugal
ž

žFerdinand Peroutka, Pavel Tigrid, Karel Kryl, Yvonne Přenosilová, Jožka Pejskar, Jaroslav Pecháček
(“baloon information“)


žthe Hungarian service was closed in 1993
žthe Polish service in 1997
žthe Czech broadcasts ended in 2002
žbroadcasts to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, and Bulgaria were closed in 2004
žbroadcasts to Romania ended in 2008
ž
ž

ž20 states:
ž    Afghanistan, Armenia,
ž    Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia,  Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia,
Moldava, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
žrebroadcasting to local stations is prohibited in Belarus, Iran, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan,
Uzbekistan, and most recently Azerbaijan
ž

žrelocated its broadcasting center to the former Czechoslovak parliament building in Prague in 1995
ž2009 move to a custom built building


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ž      www.rferl.org