[BC] Happy Birthday!! VOA

[DHultsman5@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/24/06 8:02:11 P.M. Central Standard Time,  
jgil at netvista.net writes:

"It must  be true - I read it in the New York Times!!"



On this date  (2/24/1942), The Voice Of America broadcast for the first  time.




Don't know where, don't know what, don't know who to,  don't know how.  John
V. - any ideas??



Gil   



*********************************************
 
Gil:
 
I am no expert on the VOA,  John out in Delano would know more  history than 
I. After the Pearl Harbor incident the US changed its official  position from 
neutrality to defensive and declared war on both Germany &  Japan, I guess, I 
wasn't around.  Also the US had noted the use of radio by  Germany with many 
of Hitler's speeches and much propaganda being broadcast on  high power 
stations, some receivable within the US..
 
The President evoked the War Powers Act in late 1941 or early 1942.   Within  
this act was set up a department to assume operation of the  Crosley station 
in Bethany, Ohio,  NBC's Radio Central Shortwave in New  Jersey, WRUL in 
Situate, MA and KGEI  from General Electric in California  and any other shortwave 
broadcasters.
 
Mr. Weldon of Continental was appointed as a member of the board of this  
department. Their job was to get the US opinion out to the world, based on truth  
and facts, not propaganda.
 
This department operated until the end of the war.  I don't know the  actual 
facts by somehow the government returned most of the operations to  their 
owners.  I guess they bought or extended leases on Bethany and the  west coast 
site and maintained some operation after the war. After the increase  in problems 
in eastern Europe and the cold-war Radio Moscow began heavy use of  
broadcasting in propaganda to western Europe and the world.  The US was  still 
operating the German facilities that were taken over from Hitler and in  1950 started 
building other sites around the world for VOA.  Greenville,  N.C was built as 
a medium wave and short-wave site. 
 
I am not familiar with any medium wave transmission from Greenville. The  
only medium wave site in the US was the Cuban crisis 1180 Khz. in Marathon which  
is now under the Radio Marti division. There are many medium wave capable 
sites  in other parts of the world that USIA or VOA controls.   RFE and Radio  
Liberty are all now a part of the USIA office.
 
I have probably got some of this wrong,  but I am sure that someone  with 
better knowledge or recollection than I can correct or add to these  comments.
 
Ed Bukont you once worked for VOA you know more about the VOA history  than I 
and same for John Voednik at  Delano.  John has worked also at  Bethany and 
other sites.
 
Enough bs for a Saturday morning.  Got to get busy doing the honey  doo's so 
I can do the honey tonight.
 
Dave Hultsman