A small anti-establishment radio station with a monthly show called “Radio Glasnost” gave a voice to the growing resistance movement in East Germany in the late 1980s. As dissident voices spread the word about reform, the station amplified their cause by broadcasting messages from cassette tapes that were smuggled across the border to a makeshift studio on the other side of the Wall. One of the founders and editors of that small radio operation is German journalist Roland Jahn, who believes the monthly broadcasts of these dissident voices helped bring down the Berlin Wall.
November 2, 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the first commercial radio broadcast. To celebrate this special anniversary, we’re shining a spotlight on 100 key moments in radio's history.
We hope you’ll join us in celebrating your favorite radio memories throughout 2020. Use the hashtag #Radio100 across social media to share these moments with the world. Here’s to 100 wonderful years of radio, and to at least 100 more!