A real shift came under President Ronald Reagan. His administration replaced VOA leadership, strengthened language services, lifted restrictions on covering communist crimes such as Katyn, and reversed the ban on interviewing Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.²

The 1986 recording demonstrates that the VOA Polish Service could finally produce its own expanded reports on events in and about Poland—something that had largely been impossible before 1981.

🧭 Journalistic and Historical Analysis

The April 21, 1986 broadcast aired a few days after the U.S. air strike on Libya and less than a week before the Chernobyl disaster.

The newscast shows a deliberate, even-toned approach typical of VOA in the 1980s. Items on Gorbachev’s initiatives, anti-terrorism actions in Europe, and CIA–Congress relations are presented without propaganda language—very much in the tradition of public-service journalism.

The VOA Editorial in this program focuses on U.S.–Soviet cultural exchanges. It argues that such contacts can reduce ignorance and build understanding between nations and notes that the U.S. government supports their development. On air, the editorial was clearly labeled as reflecting the views of the U.S. Government, while the remainder of the broadcast consisted of independent reporting and commentary.

Overall, the program embodies the professional craft of the VOA Polish Service—characterized by a neutral tone, precise delivery, and careful sourcing. For listeners in Poland in the 1980s, it offered not only a window on the world but also an example of free-media standards.

📰 Short Summary of the Recording

Approx. 30 minutes. After a brief tail of the previous hour, the program opens with “This is the Voice of America, Washington. Here is the news.” Highlights include:

• Gorbachev’s initiative and the re-election of Erich Honecker,
• reactions in Washington to the Libya strikes; arrests of terrorists in Europe,
• items from Spain, Afghanistan, Iran, and Israel,
• a VOA Editorial on U.S.–Soviet cultural exchanges,
• an analysis of CIA–Congress oversight relations (script by David Borgida; read in Polish),
• a New York Times report on a Polish refugee in Switzerland,
• an analysis of a U.S. Congressional report on the Yugoslav economy.The fragment closes with mentions of the “Americana” feature and an English-teaching segment—regular elements of VOA’s evening block.

🗂️ Provenance and Archival Notes

The preserved recording of the VOA Polish Service broadcast of April 21, 1986 was made for the National Security Agency (NSA) and most likely used for Polish-language training of U.S. intelligence personnel.

VOA leadership approved requests from other U.S. government agencies for access to VOA program recordings. The management of the Polish Service was not informed or consulted. The recordings were made in the “Central Recording” department in Washington.

The tapes surfaced on an online auction in 2025 and were acquired by the Cold War Radio Museum, named after Stefan and Zofia Korboński.

🖼️ Images (archival tape box)

📜 Full Corrected Transcript Voice of America – Polish Service, April 21, 1986 (Full English Transcript)

(00:06–00:23) Speaker 1: A report on the Yugoslav economy, a program from the Americana series, and another English lesson. The previous hour was produced by Witold Słukowski.

(00:43–00:56) Speaker 1: This is the Voice of America from Washington. Here is the news. First, the headlines.

(00:56–01:13) Speaker 2: Soviet Communist Party General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev expressed readiness to meet President Reagan when, as he put it, the proper atmosphere prevails. At the East German Communist Party congress, Erich Honecker was re-elected General Secretary.

(01:13–01:25) Speaker 2: West German police reported the arrest of a Palestinian suspected of involvement in the West Berlin discotheque bombing that killed an American soldier on April 5.

(01:25–01:48) Speaker 1: Here are the details. White House spokesman Larry Speaks said a U.S.–Soviet summit is in the interests of both countries. The United States, he added, wants to resolve the issues dividing Moscow and Washington, including the threat of international terrorism.

(01:48–02:21) Speaker 1: Reacting to Gorbachev’s latest remarks in the GDR regarding a summit, Speaks noted that the Soviets accuse the United States of poisoning the international atmosphere, which could cast a shadow over summit plans. The next summit is scheduled to take place this year in the United States; the exact date has not been announced yet.

(02:21–02:30) Speaker 1: Moscow canceled a preparatory meeting of the foreign ministers planned for next month in response to the U.S. air raid on Libya.

(02:32–02:56) Speaker 2: The Eleventh Congress of East Germany’s Communist Party concluded, as expected, with Erich Honecker chosen for another term as party leader. Addressing a closed session of the Central Committee, Honecker announced four new Politburo members, expanding it to twenty-two; the new members include Defense Minister Heinz Kessler and Halle party secretary Hans-Joachim Böhme. Former candidate members Werner Eberlein and Siegfried Lorenz were elevated to full membership. In his closing speech, Honecker reaffirmed his party’s close ties with Moscow and stressed cooperation, not confrontation. As Western correspondents in East Berlin predicted—despite Gorbachev’s presence—no major policy changes were announced.

(03:30–03:46) Speaker 1: West German police said they have arrested a Palestinian suspected in the April 5 West Berlin disco bombing that killed two people and injured 230.

(03:46–03:59) Speaker 1: Police said he will be placed in a line-up with other detainees to be viewed by more than one hundred witnesses who were in the discotheque at the time of the blast. No further details were released.

(04:02–04:39) Speaker 2: British police today arrested two additional persons in connection with an attempt to smuggle an explosive device aboard an El Al jet at London’s Heathrow Airport. Investigators are also studying documents found during a search of a flat in west London. Police did not identify the two men. On Friday, thirty-five-year-old Jordanian Nezar Hindawi was arrested. On Thursday, his girlfriend, Anne Marie Murphy, tried to carry an explosive hidden in her hand luggage onto the Israeli flight.

(04:39–05:15) Speaker 1: The White House condemned what it called the cowardly and brutal murder of an American librarian held hostage in Lebanon for over a year. Spokesman Larry Speaks said the killing of Peter Kilburn strengthened the Reagan Administration’s resolve to fight terrorism and called for the release of the remaining American hostages in Lebanon. The murder appears to have been in retaliation for last week’s U.S. attack on Libya.

(05:15–05:26) Speaker 2: Foreign ministers of the twelve European Community countries agreed on diplomatic measures against Libya for that country’s support of international terrorism.

(05:26–05:41) Speaker 2: Meeting in Luxembourg, the ministers unanimously decided to sharply reduce the size of Libyan diplomatic staffs in their countries and to restrict the movement of Libyan diplomats.

(05:42–06:13) Speaker 1: Italian police arrested a former Libyan diplomat suspected of involvement in a plot to assassinate the U.S., Egyptian, and Saudi ambassadors in Rome last year. The suspect was identified as forty-seven-year-old Arebi Mohammed Fituri and was arrested last night in Rome. Italy’s ANSA news agency reported that a warrant has also been issued for another Libyan who has already left the country.

(06:13–06:50) Speaker 2: The Roman Catholic bishop of Tripoli, Giovanni Martinelli—held by Libyan authorities for ten days—has been released and reportedly described his treatment as very good. Speaking to ANSA, Bishop Martinelli said rumors that he was arrested for espionage are unfounded, adding that contact with the Muslim world is a profound spiritual experience for him as a clergyman. He explained that authorities merely wished to clarify several matters concerning his activities.

(06:50–07:16) Speaker 1: Spain’s Socialist Prime Minister Felipe González plans to hold national parliamentary elections on June 22, ahead of the Cortes’ term ending in October. Government officials confirmed radio reports that Mr. González would ask the King to dissolve parliament today.

(07:16–07:30) Speaker 1: Regional elections are also set for June 22 in Andalusia, the Prime Minister’s home province. No reasons were given for the early national vote.

(07:31–07:58) Speaker 2: Afghan Prime Minister Sultan Ali Keshtmand arrived in Moscow for talks with Soviet leaders. The visit surprised Western diplomats in Kabul, as it is unclear whether the regime’s President Babrak Karmal has returned from an unofficial visit to Moscow last month. Diplomats say that if Mr. Karmal is in Moscow for medical treatment, Mr. Keshtmand may be conducting political talks on his behalf.

(07:58–08:04) Speaker 2: Moscow indicated that progress this year toward resolving the Afghan crisis is possible.

(08:05–08:44) Speaker 1: Another underground nuclear test is scheduled for tomorrow in Nevada—the third this year. Following a similar test earlier this month, the Soviet Union said it was ending its unilateral moratorium on underground nuclear tests, calling U.S. testing dangerous and militaristic. The Reagan Administration says the tests are necessary to maintain an effective nuclear deterrent.

(08:44–09:18) Speaker 2: Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres arrived in France for a two-day visit aimed at combating international terrorism and discussing Middle East peace prospects. Besides meetings with President François Mitterrand, Prime Minister Jacques Chirac, and other leaders of the new French government, Mr. Peres will address the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.

(09:18–09:36) Speaker 1: Iran again accused Iraq of using chemical weapons, saying Baghdad employed the banned arms yesterday and today in a failed attempt to repel an Iranian offensive on the Fao Peninsula in southeastern Iraq.

(09:36–09:49) Speaker 1: Baghdad denied the charges and said no major battle occurred. Tehran said a number of Iranian soldiers were poisoned by gas and are in field hospitals.

(09:49–10:10) Speaker 2: And now a recap: General Secretary Gorbachev expressed readiness to meet President Reagan when the proper atmosphere prevails. In East Berlin, Erich Honecker was re-elected as party chief.

(10:10–10:23) Speaker 2: West German police reported the arrest of a Palestinian suspected in the West Berlin disco bombing in which an American soldier was killed on April 5.

(10:23–10:33) Speaker 1: That was the news. The newscast was read by Zdzisław Mikulski and Bogusław Jerke. This is the Voice of America from Washington.

(11:17–11:21) Speaker 1: This is Washington; you are listening to the Voice of America.

(11:30–11:36) Speaker 1: We now air a Voice of America Editorial reflecting the views of the Government of the United States.

(11:37–12:19) Speaker 4: For decades, relations between the United States and the Soviet Union have alternated between warm and cool, marked by sharp political differences and ideological confrontations. There is, however, another—less dramatic—side whose importance is growing: cultural exchanges between the two countries. Their significance should not be exaggerated, but they are one of the few ways to overcome dangerous ignorance.

(12:19–12:58) Speaker 4: Cultural exchanges—and broader people-to-people contacts—help avoid misunderstandings between nations. We lack a universal yardstick for evaluating people; we can judge them only by what they themselves consider important. If two people whose relations are tense find that they like and value many of the same things, they become less foreign to one another. This may not be decisive for peace, but it is clearly necessary.

(12:58–13:48) Speaker 4: At last year’s meeting between President Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, the sides discussed six initiatives on people-to-people contacts and established a new cultural-exchange program. Plans soon to be implemented include a ten-week language-exchange program for high-school students in both countries, one-year scholarships for university students, and expanded exchanges of professors. Some may find these agreements academic, but there are also broader efforts underway. For example, last December, 400 residents of Seattle and Leningrad took part in a joint television program.

(13:48–14:13) Speaker 4: For nearly three hours, they exchanged views on a wide range of issues. Doctors from Moscow and Washington also met on television. Recently, a theater troupe from Albany, New York, staged an American musical in Moscow to packed houses. This summer, a Moscow theater will visit Albany.

(14:15–14:52) Speaker 4: The potential of such programs is virtually unlimited and depends only on the goodwill of the governments concerned. The U.S. government has consistently supported the development of friendly people-to-people relations between citizens of the two countries. The Soviet government, at least until now, has opposed such contacts. We welcome statements by Soviet delegates in Geneva and hope that deeds will follow to expand these relations.

(14:52–15:01) Speaker 1: You have heard a Voice of America Editorial reflecting the views of the Government of the United States. This is Washington.

(15:09–15:51) Speaker 1: About ten years ago, the U.S. Congress created a standing committee to oversee the Central Intelligence Agency. Since then, relations between Congress and the CIA have alternated between stormy periods that receive extensive media coverage and periods of cooperation that receive little publicity. David Borgida of the VOA newsroom examines the relationship; his observations are read in Polish by Zdzisław Mikulski.

(15:51–15:59) Speaker 2: Seeds of potential conflict between Congress and the CIA are found in the law establishing the Agency.

(15:59–17:07) Speaker 2: The 1947 National Security Act defines the Agency’s powers and tasks only broadly, offering few guidelines. Although Congress approves the Agency’s budget annually, it took years before it assumed an active oversight role. Oversight expanded in response to news that the CIA had conducted illegal domestic surveillance, planned to overthrow foreign governments, or sought to remove certain leaders—such as Salvador Allende in Chile or Fidel Castro in Cuba. In 1974, Congress barred the CIA from spending funds on covert operations without congressional authorization, except for intelligence collection. Three years later, in 1977, Congress created permanent intelligence committees in the House and the Senate.

(17:07–17:37) Speaker 2: Concerned about CIA activities, President Ford signed an executive order limiting the Agency; President Carter issued similar restrictions. In 1981, President Reagan loosened some limits. Director William J. Casey has increased the number of covert actions, drawing criticism from some members of the intelligence committee.

(17:37–18:01) Speaker 2: They argue they are not sufficiently informed about the Agency’s activities and that covert action is being used in place of diplomacy. Committee member John Elliff says relations worsened markedly after the CIA mined Nicaraguan ports in 1984.

(18:01–18:10) Speaker 1: Perhaps the worst time was indeed 1984—the worst.

(18:12–19:09) Speaker 2: That period came in 1984, when the mining of Nicaraguan ports angered both intelligence committees, leading to a bitter exchange with the executive branch and to the Senate’s overwhelming rejection of authorization for similar actions. John Elliff, a member since the Carter Administration, and committee spokesman Dave Holliday say that overall relations have been stable: despite setbacks in counterintelligence, collection, and analysis—the bulk of the Agency’s work—Congress and the CIA have worked closely together. Elliff nevertheless expects periodic tension given deep divisions over foreign policy, especially when the administration favors covert action.

(19:16–19:54) Speaker 2: Should the United States intervene—openly or covertly—to achieve foreign-policy objectives? Under President Carter, there was greater convergence between the President and Congress over what was appropriate. Under President Reagan, there is a sharper division within Congress and between parts of Congress and the President. Members of Congress and the CIA agree that one of the most serious problems is the leaking of information to the press.

(19:54–20:44) Speaker 2: In a recent speech, Director William J. Casey said publication of classified information has seriously harmed many highly valuable intelligence sources and has deprived the United States of the ability to protect its citizens from terrorism. The seriousness of the problem and the CIA’s efforts to counter it were evident in a recent exchange between Senator Sam Nunn, a Democrat, and Robert Gates, awaiting confirmation as Deputy Director of the CIA. While all agree on the gravity of the problem, there is no consensus on who is responsible. Some in Congress suggest the CIA itself is the source of many leaks.

(20:44–21:10) Speaker 2: The CIA, for its part, argues that members of Congress are responsible. Both sides say they are working to tighten the protection of classified information and want good CIA–Congress relations in an era of growing terrorism. Looking ahead, committee member John Elliff is optimistic.

(21:10–21:49) Speaker 2: He says, “I am optimistic primarily because we have built very strong links with the Agency in collection, analysis, and counterintelligence. This basic reservoir of joint effort between the congressional intelligence committees and the CIA will help in times of heightened tension that must periodically occur, given major differences over foreign policy.” Not all committee members are as optimistic as Elliff, but all agree that what the CIA does is critically important for U.S. foreign policy.

(21:50–21:54) Speaker 1: This is the Voice of America from Washington.

(21:54–22:11) Speaker 1: The Sunday edition of the New York Times carried an article by Thomas Netter on Switzerland’s policy toward refugees and asylum seekers. Sławomir Suss now reads extended excerpts.

(22:11–22:46) Speaker 5: On Palm Sunday, Zurich police took a twenty-nine-year-old Polish refugee to Kloten International Airport and put him on a plane to Warsaw. His name was not disclosed, nor did his Polish-born attorney in Zurich, Edward Barcikowski, reveal his identity. Reports indicate that the refugee had been living in Zurich since December 11, 1981—two days before martial law was declared in Poland.

(22:46–23:37) Speaker 5: When he learned that Poland’s Security Service was seeking him for his Solidarity activity, he applied for asylum in Switzerland and was refused. He then tried to obtain a Canadian visa—a lengthy process with an uncertain outcome. He also sought Swiss residency through marriage to a Swiss citizen, which was to take place shortly after Palm Sunday—but, as it turned out, too late to prevent his deportation, Netter writes. The incident is the latest in a series viewed as evidence of a markedly tougher stance by the Swiss government—and public opinion—toward the influx of asylum seekers.

(23:38–24:31) Speaker 5: Long considered a sanctuary, Switzerland’s recent expulsions have sparked friction between minorities and Swiss citizens, between church and state, and between opponents and supporters of a more liberal refugee policy. Authorities have ordered many Tamils, Iranians, and Turks to leave, saying they face no danger at home. In the Polish case, officials said Zurich police misread an order, leading to the young man’s premature deportation. They added that if Canada were to deny him a visa, he would, in any case, have to leave Switzerland. The matter remains murky; no one seems able to explain why the Pole was sent back to the People’s Republic of Poland ahead of schedule.

(24:31–25:16) Speaker 5: Georg Kistler, spokesman for the Swiss Interior Ministry, said Switzerland is an attractive place to live, and not everyone who wishes to stay does so out of fear of persecution at home. “If there is the slightest concern for safety, we do not send them back,” he said. The Times article notes Switzerland’s population is 6.4 million, of whom 15 percent are foreign workers. The number of asylum seekers tells the story.

(25:16–25:46) Speaker 5: In 1980, 2,000 people applied for asylum. By October 1985, 1,200 had applied in a single month; the total for 1985 reached 9,703. The tightening appears driven largely by inflows from the Third World — populations that many European states are reluctant to accept.

(25:46–25:58) Speaker 1: This is the Voice of America from Washington. A U.S. Congressional report has just been published on the economies of the CMEA countries and Yugoslavia.

(25:58–26:08) Speaker 1: Today, we present excerpts concerning Yugoslavia’s economy. Renata Lipińska at the microphone.

(26:08–26:40) Speaker 3: A U.S. Congressional committee report notes that economic prospects vary among Yugoslavia’s republics. The economy remains burdened by costly social programs, local projects, and a growth strategy stressing heavy industry and mining. Since Marshal Tito’s death, the central political leadership needed for nationwide economic integration has weakened.

(26:40–27:33) Speaker 3: A general downturn in Western Europe has hurt Yugoslavia’s growth. The report states that since the war Yugoslavia has passed through four phases: (1) a centrally directed economy on the Soviet model in the late 1940s; (2) decentralization of production decisions while keeping central control of investment and foreign trade in the 1950s and early 1960s; (3) a market-oriented economy with periodic central interventions in the 1960s and early 1970s; and (4) a system of inter-enterprise and inter-regional linkages, strengthened by the 1974 constitutional amendments.

(27:34–28:28) Speaker 3: As decentralized linkages were introduced—unevenly—across the republics, the national economy experienced a series of shocks. Domestic policy changes coincided with global disturbances, including oil price rises and a recession. Until recently, foreign exchange shortages had forced Yugoslavia to impose increasingly tight import restrictions. The report says the country is now exploring ways to expand exports and adopt a new development strategy, debating a shift to a more open, market-driven model.

(28:28–29:28) Speaker 3: The aim is also to remove disincentives to exports that characterized the last decade. The need to service foreign debt, combined with weak output, led to austerity measures in 1982–83 to curb imports. As in other newly industrialized, heavily indebted states, two external factors have been decisive: shrinking foreign markets and worsening conditions on existing markets. The declared goal of Yugoslav policy is to reduce foreign debt by the end of the century.

(29:29–30:22) Speaker 3: Given Yugoslavia’s experience in 1981–83, the country is likely to pursue its goals through austerity—administrative limits on investment and public spending—combined with measures to influence enterprise decisions on wages and savings. The report concludes that recovery is possible if Yugoslavia adopts a more open, export-oriented strategy. Without it, austerity will likely perpetuate stagnation and bring a repeat of the early-1980s crisis.

(30:23–30:32) Speaker 1: That was an overview of parts of the U.S. Congressional report on Yugoslavia’s economy. This is the Voice of America from Washington.

(30:33–30:48) Speaker 1: Later this hour: Americana and the next English-teaching segment. Before that, Zdzisław Mikulski with a brief news summary.

(30:48–30:59) Speaker 2: White House spokesman Larry Speaks said a U.S.–Soviet summit is in the interests of both countries. The United States, he said, wants to resolve the problems dividing Moscow and Washington.

For length and readability, the full corrected transcript (approx. 7,000 words) is available as a downloadable PDF in the Museum’s archive.

1. R. Eugene Parta, former Director of Audience and Program Research at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Inc., “Listening to Western Radio Stations in Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria: 1962–1988 – Longitudinal Listening Trend Charts.” Paper prepared for the Cold War Broadcasting Impact conference co-organized by the Cold War International History Project, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (Washington, DC), and the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, Stanford, California, October 13–15, 2004. A. Ross Johnson and R. Eugene Parta, “Cold War International Broadcasting: Lessons Learned,” paper presented at Communicating with the Islamic World, Annenberg Foundation Trust, Rancho Mirage, California, February 5, 2005.

   

2. Victor Franzusoff, a former VOA broadcaster, writer, commentator, and Chief of the Russian Service, described efforts by VOA management in the 1970s to prevent coverage of Nobel laureate Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. After the Soviet government expelled Solzhenitsyn from the USSR and stripped him of citizenship in 1974, the VOA Russian Service correspondent in Munich, Eugene Nikiforov, requested an interview, and Solzhenitsyn agreed. Franzusoff—newly appointed Chief of the Russian Service — was elated, but VOA management ordered him to halt the interview. According to Franzusoff, in the final months of the Nixon Administration, he was told the State Department had decided that “until further notice, VOA should have nothing to do with the dissident writer.” Whether the decision originated solely in the State Department or jointly with USIA and VOA officials is unclear. Franzusoff wrote: “This decision made no sense to me, of course, but my hands were tied.” Victor Franzusoff, Talking to The Russians (Santa Barbara: Fithian Press, 1998), p. 180.