Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Multiple Language Service records, 1953-2006

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Summary

Title:
Multiple Language Service records
Dates:
1953-2006
Creators:
RFE/RL.
Abstract:
American radio broadcasting organization operating Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty. The Multiple Languge Services records include event file listings, program logs, tape library, and sound recordings for multiple languages.
Extent:
133 manuscript boxes, 196 audio boxes (227.0 Linear Feet)
Language:
In Armenian, Azerbaijani, Belarusian, Bulgarian, Czech, Estonian, English, Georgian, Hungarian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Latvian, Lithuanian, Persian, Serbian, Croatian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Uzbek, Ukrainian, Slovak, Tatar, Bashkir, Tajik, Turkmen, Pashto, Crimean Tatar; Crimean Turkish, Pushto; Pashto
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Multiple Language Service records, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Background

Scope and content:

Includes event file listings, program logs, tape library, and sound recordings for multiple languages. The sound recordings series contains contents from a variety of language services: Armenian, Azerbaijani, Belarusian, Bulgarian, Czech, Estonian, Georgian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Latvian, Lithuanian, North Caucasus, Persian (Radio Azadi, Radio Farda), Polish, Radio Free Afghanistan (Radio Azadi), Radio Free Iraq, Radio Marshaal, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, South Slavic (Balkan), Tajik, Tatar-Bashkir, Turkmen, Ukrainian and Uzbek. Programming includes broadcast recordings, music and other recordings. No digital use copies are available for immediate access.

From August 24, 1995 through October 31, 2006, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty committed its broadcast recordings to multi-channel logging media. Recordings of programs broadcast August 24, 1995 through August 26, 1999 are saved on VHS tapes encoded using Racal Wordsafe machines while recordings broadcast September 25, 1999 through October 31, 2006 are on DDS tapes encoded using an RCS Tracker system. Both systems recorded multiple concurrent tracks of audio, capturing on one tape the content of several different transmitters. The Racal Wordsafe system captured twelve concurrent tracks, each 25 hours in duration, meaning each tape has the potential to hold 300 hours of content. Tape is not the only storage mechanism for audio recorded using the RCS Tracker system – it created audio files independent of tape, to be saved in whatever manner the user preferred – however tape (DDS in this case) was the method chosen by RFE/RL. Each tape contains upward of eight concurrent tracks; multiple decks operated simultaneously affording the capture of all operating transmitters. The reader should note that, for inventory purposes, tapes from this period are counted as single physical items despite containing multiple recordings from different language services. Consequently, the sound recordings from this era constitute 6,809 physical items rather than the 55,800 audio recordings the media.

Acquisition information:
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 2000.
Processing information:

In 2019 Archivist Tanya Yule processed the paper records for the Multiple Language Service records, updating from the former Multiple Language Services Sound Recordings.

Physical location:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by Tanya Yule
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2022-11-30 12:50:03.509596

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.

Terms of access:

RFE/RL welcomes the re-use, republication, and redistribution for research and educational purposes of audio, video, text, and graphic content produced by RFE/RL, Inc., its legal predecessor organizations, and its constituent language Services.

Users of RFE/RL content from this website must include in their work the information: "Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty content, including but not limited to recordings of broadcasts, program scripts, graphic and video content and web-based content, is protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. Used with the permission of RFE/RL, Inc., 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA. ""www.rferl.org".

Users of RFE/RL content cannot alter the meaning, name or integrity of the content. The sale of RFE/RL content is strictly prohibited. Some of the RFE/RL content on this website may contain content created by outside parties ("Third-Party Content"). Before using any RFE/RL products containing Third-Party Content, you must first obtain permission from the owner of the rights to the Third-Party Content. Unlimited reproduction for institutional or other use of RFE/RL content found on this website is not permitted without the express written permission of RFE/RL.

Learn more about the Terms of Use for RFE/RL content on the RFE/RL website. Inquiries about copyright permission involving materials in RFE/RL archival collections should be emailed to: Martins Zvaners, RFE/RL Deputy Director of Communications.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Multiple Language Service records, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Location of this collection:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6003, US
Contact:
(650) 723-3563
hooverarchives@stanford.edu
Website