Washington, 30 September 1996 (RFE/RL) - A new U.S.-funded radio news service for Asia began broadcasting today to China.
The station, Radio Free Asia, is modeled after Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty, the U.S.-funded stations that broadcast to the former Soviet Union and to Central and Eastern Europe.
Radio Free Asia eventually intends to also broadcast to Tibet, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, North Korea and Vietnam.
Richard Richter, president of Radio Free Asia, told RFE/RL that the new service will "will have hard news broadcasts, some features and culture programming." Richter also said that the station is "an objective news organization that does not engage in propaganda."
During much of its planning period, Radio Free Asia was known as the Asia Pacific Network. The radio's Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees its operations, restored its original name of Radio Free Asia last week.