ROUNDTABLE MAKES THE CASE FOR MAINTAINING U.S. SUPPORT FOR RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY

(Washington, DC): Momentous changes are afoot in Eastern and
Central Europe and the former Soviet Union. In particular, recent
— and upcoming — elections suggest that the full transition of
nations in the region to democratic liberalism and free market
economies is far from assured. The implications for U.S.
interests should such a critical transformation not occur could
be very significant.

In the past, the United States used its “Freedom
Radios” — Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) —
to promote the rule of law, respect of human rights, democracy
and capitalism behind what was once the Iron Curtain. In the
aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union, the necessity for
continuing to operate these assets at taxpayer expense was
sharply questioned. Indeed, the Congress in 1994 directed that
various national services of RFE/RL be spun-off or privatized
with the complete end of U.S. government underwriting to occur by
1999. Accordingly, RFE’s Hungarian service has already been
liquidated; the Czech service is scheduled to be off-the-books by
September 1996.

Since that congressional action, however, RFE/RL has undergone
a remarkably successful cost-cutting and streamlining initiative.
Its headquarters have been moved from Munich to Prague. There,
the government of President Vaclav Havel has expressed its strong
support for the continued operation of the Freedom Radios by
providing superb facilities essentially gratis. Today,
RFE/RL is maintaining the high broadcasting standards and levels
of productivity it did prior to the move for less than one-third
of its previous budget.

The question arises: Does it still make sense to allow Radio
Free Europe and Radio Liberty to waste away? Or should these
assets be preserved as important instruments by which the U.S.
can encourage freedom to take root and nurture that process where
it already has?

In the interest of examining these crucial questions, the Center
for Security Policy, the Nixon Center for Peace
and Freedom and National Review
magazine yesterday hosted a blue-ribbon Roundtable Discussion on
the Future of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Among the
distinguished participants in the Roundtable were Senators Jon
Kyl (R-AZ) and Joseph Biden (D-DE); Malcolm
“Steve” Forbes, Jr., former Chairman of the
Board for International Broadcasting; Ambassador Michael
Zantovsky, the Czech Ambassador to the United States;
and Kevin Klose, the President of RFE/RL. Also
present were current and former international broadcasters
including senior representatives of the U.S. Information Agency,
the Voice of America and RFE/RL; past and present members of the
Freedom Radios’ presidentially-appointed oversight boards;
congressional staff; and members of the press.

The Roundtable featured a thorough discussion of: the changing
geopolitical environment and the need for RFE/RL; the current
status of the Freedom Radios; and the future of RFE/RL. A general
consensus was evident that RFE/RL have — if anything — a unique
and actually increasingly important role to play in
promoting the principles of freedom and economic opportunity to
audiences yearning for both, but not yet assured they will be
allowed permanently to enjoy either.

A summary of the day’s proceedings
will be available shortly and may be obtained by contacting the
Center.