FUN FACT: Voice of America
Voice of America began as a shortwave-based radio network transmissions on February 1, 1942. The Office of War Information took over VOA's operations in the middle of 1942. During this time its broadcasts reached the Philippines, Germany, Britain, North Africa, and Italy, among other places. By the end of World War II, VOA had 39 transmitters and provided service in 40 languages, within 1000s of programs. Programming consisted of music, news, commentary, and U.S. domestic programming, in addition to specialized VOA programming.
By 1945 about 1/2 of VOA's services were discontinued, and in late 1945, the VOA was transferred to the Department of State. In 1947, VOA started broadcasting to Soviet citizens in Russia. Over the next few years, the U.S. government debated the best role of Voice of America. The decision was made to use VOA broadcasts as a part of its foreign policy to fight the propaganda of the Soviet Union and other countries. Most of the countries targeted by VOA sponsored jamming of VOA broadcasts signals.
In 1953, control of the VOA passed from the State Department to the U.S. Information Agency and began transmitting worldwide, including to the countries behind the Iron Curtain and to the People's Republic of China. Starting in 1955, the VOA broadcast American jazz on Voice of America Jazz Hour and did so until 2003.