Radio Bucharest: December 31, 1989 (Romanian Revolution)

By Denoel Paris and other photographers [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Jack Widner, who shares the following off-air recording and notes:

Radio Bucharest, Romania, on Shortwave New Year's Eve 1989.  The beginning is missing.   Frequency not logged but was probably 6155 or 11830, time 0200 UTC.

The Ceausescu regime had finally been toppled and executed outside the capital Bucharest.  These were heady times; Romania was one of the last of the "Iron curtain" countries to change its Communist government.

But now Ceausescu is out and Romania has its first taste of fresh air.  This program reflects that new-found liberalisation.  The announcer at 0102 says "FREE Romania" and at 01:12 - 02:33 the American Ambassador Alan Green Jr sends greetings from President GHWB.  After that, the majority of the program is traditional music and celebrations of Romanian new year.  The two announcers are full of national pride!

There is a slight gap at 11:19 - 11:23.  Frequency and contact information are at the end of the program, 25:15.

The picture of Bucharest is the cover of a verification card from 1967 in my possession.

Heard in Pennsylvania, December 1989.