Communication and resistance. The instrumental role of Western radio stations in opening up Eastern Europe - article ; n°1 ; vol.2, pg 55-69

Jacques Sémelin

Description

Réseaux. The French journal of communication - Année 1994 - Volume 2 - Numéro 1 - Pages 55-69
Summary: Throughout the Cold War two types of radio stations broadcast to the Communist countries: 'sovereign' radio (e.g. BBC, RFI) and 'substitute' radio (e.g. Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty). They developed, from the same sources of information, two distinct styles of production and relations with listeners. These radio stations were both a political instrument and a cultural vector, a link with the West and a medium for local communications, until broadcasting finally gained its freedom through political change.
15 pages
Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.

Informations

• Publié par: RESEAUX-_THE_FRENCH_JOURNAL_OF_COMMUNICATION
• Publié le: 01 janvier 1994
• Nombre de lectures: 36
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Jacques Sémelin
Liz Libbrecht
Communication and resistance. The instrumental role of
Western radio stations in opening up Eastern Europe
In: Réseaux, 1994, volume 2 n°1. pp. 55-69.
Abstract
Summary: Throughout the Cold War two types of radio stations broadcast to the Communist countries: 'sovereign' radio (e.g.
BBC, RFI) and 'substitute' radio (e.g. Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty). They developed, from the same sources of information,
two distinct styles of production and relations with listeners. These radio stations were both a political instrument and a cultural
vector, a link with the West and a medium for local communications, until broadcasting finally gained its freedom through political
change.
Citer ce document / Cite this document :
Sémelin Jacques, Libbrecht Liz. Communication and resistance. The instrumental role of Western radio stations in opening up
Eastern Europe. In: Réseaux, 1994, volume 2 n°1. pp. 55-69.
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/reso_0969-9864_1994_num_2_1_3260AND COMMUNICATION
RESISTANCE
The instrumental role of Western radio
stations in opening up Eastern Europe
Jacques SÉMELIN
Translated by Liz Libbrecht
Summary: Throughout the Cold War two types of radio stations
broadcast to the Communist countries: 'sovereign' radio (e.g.
BBC, RFI) and 'substitute' radio (e.g. Radio Free Europe, Radio
Liberty). They developed, from the same sources of information,
two distinct styles of production and relations with listeners.
These radio stations were both a political instrument and a
cultural vector, a link with the West and a medium for local
communications, until broadcasting finally gained its freedom
through political change. 55 COMMUNICATION AND RESISTANCE
Radio Free Europe (RFE) and Radio Lib
3 COMMUNICATION erty (RL) both of which broadcast from
Munich. The former was aimed at Central
and Eastern Europe, from 1950, and the
AND second at the Soviet Union republics,
from 1953. The more modest role of Vati
can Radio, Radio France Internationale
RESISTANCE (RFI), the Iteutschlandfund (broadcasting
to East-Central Europe) and Deutsche
Welle (broadcasting to the USSR), as well
as Austrian, Luxembourg and Swedish
radio stations, must also be mentioned.
The Western instrumental radio stations role of in
What roles did these radio stations play
opening up Eastern Europe in Eastern European countries' slow and
difficult march away from communism?
The thoughts presented here are based
mainly on recent research on the develop
ment of Western radio broadcasting t
owards Poland during the 1980s*. This
work could also provide a wealth of info
rmation for an analysis of modes of politi
cal communication in the context of other
authoritarian or totalitarian régimes - in Jacques SÉMELIN
the East or the South - since its goal is to
better understand listening habits with
respect to foreign media, within a country
where the media are subjected to ex
tremely severe censorship.
Many observers were struck by
the role of Western media in
'Sovereign' 'substitute' the process of political and
change that shook Eastern
radio stations and Central Europe during the course of
1 989. The penetration of the East by these
Two types of 'political' radio stations must media was not however a new phenomen
first be distinguished. On the one hand, on; from the time of the Cold War,
the BBC, VOA and RFI which are so-called Western radio stations broadcasting on
'sovereign' radio stations and, on the short or medium waves tried to break
other hand, RFE and RL which can be through the isolation of communist bloc
considered as 'substitute' radio stations. populations.
Sovereign radio stations are essentially
The most important of these were the the mouth-pieces of those countries from
which they are broadcast and their main British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
which broadcast to these countries with function is to be a radiophonie 'mirror' of
out interruption from 1939, the Voice of the State financing them. In this respect,
America (VOA) which broadcast from these radio stations must fulfil the r
1947, and two other American stations equirements set by their regulatory autho
hosted by immigrants from the East, rities, generally the Department of
* Research carried out with the assistance of the Programme Communication of the French
national scientific research centre (CNRS).
57 Jacques SÉMELIN
Foreign Affairs. Their functions are prin hand, to instigating or amplifying internal
cipally the explanation of the broadcast opposition to these regimes. In contrast to
ing country's foreign policies, the sovereign radio stations, the aim was not
promotion of its economy and the diffu that of attracting, but of pressurizing the
sion of its culture and language. A sover targeted country. Presenting itself as the
eign radio station's main task is therefore Voice of the people", this type of radio
to address the whole world, which basi station wanted to provide an alternative
to the 'official voice' of State-controlled cally means that, in principle, it cannot
be adapted to the specific characteristics media. In other words, the logic behind a
of national audiences. This claim of substitute radio station was not formed in
reaching a worldwide public means that relation to the source, as in the preceding
case, but in relation to the target, i.e. the it permanently risks talking to nobody at
all, precisely because it does not take into supposed expectations of the chosen
account whoever it is addressing. Broad audience. The legitimacy of its pro
casting in the languages of the target grammes was primarily based on every
populations is of course the first way of thing that the official media did not say or
reaching potential foreign audiences, but that they manipulated, whether facts and
this merely amounts to correcting the current events or elements of the receiv
principle of international communication ing county's history and culture which
defined from the source and not the tar were purposely concealed or twisted by
get. In this sense, the logic behind a sover the communist State.
eign radio station's communication is
based on attraction dynamics, since its
A common ideology, different goal is to contribute to the broadcasting
country's influence. Consequently its messages
functions do not include - in theory - that
of providing an alternative source of info Whether sovereign or substitute, Western
rmation for those countries with severe radio stations all adopted the same ideo
media censorship. If it does - in practice logical references by claiming to be moti
- do so fairly often, this is over and above vated by common political or moral
its general mandate, and with the specific principles, i.e. those of democracy and
intention of attracting particular listeners authentic information. In this sense, they
and thereby broadening its international tried to ensure that their programmes
audience. reflected the democratic values that they
wished to convey, and thereby hoped to The logic of a substitute radio station
contribute towards educating their lisuch as RFE or RL was quite different.
steners about democracy. This basic funcThese stations were established by the
tion of political 'representation' could United States in the Cold War context, to
however, lead them to account for only the counteract Soviet domination in Europe
most positive aspects of Western so(Michie, 1963; Mickelson, 1983). In the
cieties. Because of this, and by means of terminology of the time, it was a question
a selection of subject matter, they tended of forming an 'ideological arm' to contrib
to present a simplified and idealized view ute to the 'liberation of the captives of
of the West. communism*. The radiophonie instr
ument seemed particularly appropriate for
These radio stations also stried to respect implementing this strategy which was to
the principle of authenticity of informatcontribute, on the one hand, to vigorously
ion by presenting themselves as contrary denigrating the legitimacy of communist
to the system they opposed; if totalitarianregimes in Europe and, on the other
ism is synonymous with propaganda.
58 COMMUNICATION AND RESISTANCE
news. By means of its manner of presentthen democracy must be synonymous
with truth. The radio stations that repre ing current events, the BBC also strives
to give the right to speak to both the sented must therefore pro
vided their listeners with this guarantee authorities of a country and the main
of 'truth' which was one of the minimal representatives of its internal opposition.
conditions for ensuring the credibility of In short, the detached tone of its an
their 'messages' and developing listener nouncers is the permanent expression of
loyalty. It was a concept that was fiercely the objectivity that the British stations
defended by Jan Nowak within RFE would like to practise. The VOA displays
(Nowak, 1988). There was also, amongst very clearly what it is: the Voice of
the Weste