Radio Liberty

The Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty, Radio Marti and Asian Democracy Radio are not household names among American audiences. Yet U.S. taxpayers finance those huge global broadcasting operations which have become steadily more complex and expensive since their inauguration during World War II.Since the Soviet Union collapsed, it has been crystal clear the U.S. government's costly Cold War radio operation must be overhauled. But how? Each of those stations jealously protects its turf, organizing partisans to fight any streamlining.

Throughout the Cold War, U.S. government-financed Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty penetrated electronic jamming screens, providing Eastern European and Soviet listeners with an uncensored alternative to Communist-controlled news. Now that the Cold War is over and Communism no longer is a threat, cost-cutters want to merge them into the Voice of America.That's a shortsighted idea. The stations' missions are vastly different. The RFE/RL broadcasting colossus deals with topical internal coverage of target countries; VOA's success is measured by its ability to explain official U.S. policies and the American lifestyle.

Once again the most successful international information-broadcasting programs ever run by the U.S. government are facing extinction. The Clinton administration is planning to phase out Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty this year.From their founding in 1949 and 1951, Radio Free Europe (which broadcasts to Eastern Europe) and Radio Liberty (which broadcasts to the Soviet Union) have had a precarious, controversial, gloriously successful existence -- and made some powerful enemies.The diplomats of the State Department have always found them a nuisance and an interference with the department's management of foreign policy.

Is it possible that Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty are a kind of information-age ''cure for polio'' whose disease has now passed into history?Is it plausible that these two extraordinary Munich-based American radios, having helped decisively to destroy communism, should now themselves be destroyed, like some good guard dog that has done its faithful duty and is no longer necessary?That was the recommendation last week of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy -- and, of all the foolish post-Cold War suggestions being bandied about these days, this surely heads the growing list.

Jerusalem.--Mikhail Gorbachev is out of power. This should remind us that the most important development in recent history -- the rapid erosion of Soviet totalitarianism -- is only a process, not an event. Unlike an event, a process can be slowed, or stopped or (at least temporarily) reversed.The threat of a return of a new form of the old Soviet system is big-league stuff. Remember: These are the folks who, until very recently, owned six countries in Eastern Europe, rented dozens of others around the world, pushed for global communist revolution, deprived their citizens of elemental freedoms, financed international terrorism and, by the way, regularly reminded us that they had nuclear missiles pointed our way.Even a temporary reversion to such a situation is potentially cataclysmic.

Washington. -- Consider an idea whose time may be here: Radio Free China. It could play a key role in finishing up the great unfinished business of our time.Legislation has been introduced. Senate co-sponsors include, imagine this, liberal Joe Biden and conservative Jesse Helms. One commission is already studying the idea, a second is likely.The concept has been kicking around for decades. It involves ''surrogate radio.''America does two kinds of international radio broadcasting. Our national service, Voice of America, broadcasts globally in 44 languages.