Radio Svoboda

Radio Svoboda is the Russian-language service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), an international news broadcaster headquartered in Prague, Czechia. The station provides news, analysis, interviews and discussion programmes aimed at Russian-speaking audiences in Russia and abroad.

Radio Liberty began broadcasting to the Soviet Union in 1953 from West Germany, and RFE/RL moved its headquarters from Munich to Prague in 1995. RFE/RL is described as a private nonprofit corporation funded by the United States Congress. Its stated mission is to deliver news and debate in places where the press is restricted, and its coverage is often critical of the Russian authorities, so listeners should be aware of this editorial position. Svoboda is the Russian word for freedom, and the service is also available on digital platforms such as DAB+ in parts of Estonia.

The programming is speech-based, with news bulletins and current-affairs talk in Russian. This stream is delivered as an MP3 feed at 128 kbps in stereo, and carries the live programme around the clock.