Retro: Radio Free Europe TV PSA

[Keith_Lake]

Does anybody remember the public service announcement for Radio Free Europe which ran in either the late 60's or early 70's? It featured a foreign-language announcer in the RFE studio talking up the intro to "On Broadveyyyy..." The rest of the PSA, I believe, was a mission statement and pitch for donations to RFE.

Would that be available anywhere as an .avi or mpeg file? I've googled for it all over the place and have come up empty-handed so far.

With all the political changes since then, is Radio Free Europe still active?

KL

<P ID="signature">______________
<a href="http://home.nc.rr.com/gttyson/lastradio.html">The Last Radio Station<a></P>

 

[pqgeorge]

Radio Free Europe is still on the air. I remember that particular PSA with a young Hungarian named Peter who left Hungary when he was 12, and now he's "talking to the people he left behind". "On Broadveyyyyyyy!". Somebody MUST have that old PSA somewhere. The Internet is so vast, I'm sure it's out there somewhere!

"On broadveyyyyyy!"

73,

Pete (K1XRB)



> Does anybody remember the public service announcement for
> Radio Free Europe which ran in either the late 60's or early
> 70's? It featured a foreign-language announcer in the RFE
> studio talking up the intro to "On Broadveyyyy..." The rest
> of the PSA, I believe, was a mission statement and pitch for
> donations to RFE.
>
> Would that be available anywhere as an .avi or mpeg file?
> I've googled for it all over the place and have come up
> empty-handed so far.
>
> With all the political changes since then, is Radio Free
> Europe still active?
>
> KL
> <P ID="signature">______________
Peter Q. George (K1XRB)
Whitman, Massachusetts</P>

 

[timmyb]

> Radio Free Europe is still on the air. I remember that
> particular PSA with a young Hungarian named Peter who left
> Hungary when he was 12, and now he's "talking to the people
> he left behind". "On Broadveyyyyyyy!". Somebody MUST have
> that old PSA somewhere. The Internet is so vast, I'm sure
> it's out there somewhere!
>
> "On broadveyyyyyy!"
>
that thing ran for years, didn't it? i think from c.1966 thru c.1972 or 73.

to me it sounded like this:
" hf egfye weyqoxkvnp xxusyefssxhr7y wf sfssakthjim dgcgefrhvizgt...the dreefters..on broadveyyyyyy!!!"

and i LOVED it!!!

tb

 

[CrankyYankee]

I recall that PSA vividly too, but I must ask this question:

What was the purpose of it?

To ask for money? No...

To ask for support? Maybe...

To inform us about the "red threat" and how we(the good guys) were kickin' the commies by reading the news(our way) and playing that evil rock & roll, like "On Broadway" by the Drifters? I suppose so...

Just what was the purpose of this/that PSA?

Since RFE and VOA (Along with RIAS and Radio Liberty) are not directed at Americans and they don't even seem to acknowledge that they are listened to by American at times, what the heck was the reason for that PSA?!

Someone, give me a clue?<P ID="signature">______________
"What's That?" "French Horns!"

</P>

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

I can add a few more details.

The PSA identified Radio Free Europe as being "The In Sound From Outside".

And at the end of the commercial, they were offering a free booklet on what RFE did for Eastern Europe. "For more information on RFE and Eastern Europe, write Radio Free Europe, P.O. Box (current year), Mount Vernon, New York".

RFE had a studio in New York, for in the spot, it looked likie the young Hungarian-born DJ was walking into the RFE studio building, with what looked like the Empire State Building in the background. RFE's transmitters were in what was then West Germany; it's possible that by the 1970's, RFE programming may have been fed from the 'States to their European transmitters by satellite.

Or, maybe our Hungarian friend's pop music show was pre-taped and the tapes flown to the transmitter for later broadcast.

This is the homepage for today's Radio Free Europe and sister network Radio Liberty.

This is a link to an article detailing the history of RFE/RL from the Hoover Institution.