a private US radio company that broadcasts to central and eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. It is supported financially by the US government. The main office is in Munich, Germany, and it broadcasts each day in 23 languages to an audience of 20 million. Radio Free Europe was established in 1950 for the European audience, and Radio Liberty began in 1951 for the Soviet one. They joined together in 1976. The programmes have always been about US and world news and subjects, including the arts, but they were more political before the end of Communism.
Compare Voice of America .