Eastern Bloc Media - Media and Information Restrictions - Media Entities

Media Entities

Further information: Printed media in the Soviet Union, Television in the Soviet Union, Radio in the Soviet Union, and Internet in the Soviet Union

The major newspapers were traditionally the daily official publications of the Communist Party. Newspapers served as the main party organs of record and provided official political roadmaps for officials and other readers who needed to be informed. In some countries, the press provided a significant source of income for the ruling Communist parties. Radio and television was controlled by the state. The Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union (TASS) was the central agency for collection and distribution of internal and international news for all Soviet newspapers, radio and television stations. TASS monopolized the supply of political news. It was frequently infiltrated by Soviet intelligence and security agencies, such as the NKVD and GRU. TASS had affiliates in 14 Soviet republics, including the Lithuanian SSR, Latvian SSR, Estonian SSR, Moldavian SSR. Ukrainian SSR and Byelorussian SSR.

Despite outward similarities in press policy, large differences existed in the roles and functions of the mass media in Eastern Bloc countries. Where the press was allowed more freedom, such as in Poland, Hungary, and Yugoslavia, a national subtext and a significant element of entertainment flourished. In some cases, newspapers and magazines served as the most visible part of liberalizing forces, such as in Poland in 1956 and 1980–81, in Hungary in 1956, and in Czechoslovakia in 1968.

In many instances toward the end of the Eastern Bloc's existence, the ruling Communist parties' messages in the press increasingly diverged from reality, which contributed to the declining faith of the public in Communist rule. At the same time, some press in the Eastern Bloc became more open in the 1980s in countries such as Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia. In Yugoslavia, the press after Tito's reign turned increasingly nationalistic. Only in Romania and Albania did the press remain under tight dictatorial control right up until the end of the Eastern Bloc.

In East Germany, where initial control could be less overt because of shared allied occupation rules, the Soviet SVG set up the Deutsche Verwaltung für Volksbildung (DVV) in the fall of 1945. The SVAG and DVV controlled and approved all publication licenses needed to publish newspapers, books, journals and other materials. Those agencies also provided the top publishing priorities and would apportion paper used for printing to the various publications in accordance with those priorities. The SVAG initially licensed some private publishers which required the employment of a greater number of censors.

Notable National Media in the Eastern Bloc

Media Type Country Notes Pravda newspaper Russian SFSR Official organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party Zvyazda newspaper Byelorussian SSR Official newspaper of the Communist Party of Belarus Rudé právo newspaper Czechoslovak Socialist Republic Official newspaper of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia Pravda (Slovakia) newspaper Czechoslovak Socialist Republic Publication of the Communist Party of Slovakia Laiko Vima newspaper People's Republic of Albania Greek newspaper, organ of the Party of Labour of Albania Lidová Demokracie newspaper Czechoslovak Socialist Republic Published by the Czechoslovak People's Party Mladá fronta newspaper Czechoslovak Socialist Republic Newspaper of the Socialist Union of Youth Práce newspaper Czechoslovak Socialist Republic Published by the Revolutionary Trade Union Movement Svobodné Slovo newspaper Czechoslovak Socialist Republic Published by the Czechoslovak Socialist Party Neues Deutschland newspaper East Germany Official paper of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) Rahva Hääl newspaper Estonian SSR Official newspaper of the Communist Party of Estonia Neuvosto-Karjala newspaper Karelo-Finnish SSR - Sovetskaya Latviya newspaper Latvian SSR Official publication of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Latvia Sovetskaya Molodëz newspaper Latvian SSR Latvian Komsomol daily Czerwony Sztandar newspaper Lithuanian SSR Polish language newspaper to Sovietized Territories of Poland annexed by the Soviet Union Kauno Tiesa newspaper Lithuanian SSR - Zëri i Popullit newspaper People's Republic of Albania Propaganda organ of the Party of Labour of Albania Rabotnichesko Delo newspaper People's Republic of Bulgaria Propaganda organ of the Bulgarian Communist Party Népszabadság newspaper People's Republic of Hungary Organ of the Hungarian Working People's Party Esti Budapest newspaper People's Republic of Hungary Organ of the Hungarian Working People's Party in Budapest Trybuna Ludu newspaper People's Republic of Poland Official media outlet of the Polish United Workers' Party Scînteia newspaper People's Republic of Romania Official voice of the Communist Party of Romania Scînteia Tineretului newspaper People's Republic of Romania Romanian Union of Communist Youth newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper Russian SFSR Official organ of the Central Committee of the Komsomol Pionerskaya Pravda newspaper Russian SFSR Official organ of the Young Pioneer organization of the Soviet Union Trud (newspaper) newspaper Russian SFSR Mouthpiece for the Soviet Labor Unions Borba (newspaper) newspaper Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Newspaper of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia Czechoslovak Press Agency press agency Czechoslovak Socialist Republic Controlled by the federal government through its Presidium APN press agency Russian SFSR Under the Soviet Information Bureau Radio Prague radio Czechoslovak Socialist Republic Official international broadcasting station of Czechoslovakia since 1936 Berliner Rundfunk radio East Germany Radio station by Rundfunk der DDR since 1946 Deutschlandsender radio East Germany Radio station by Rundfunk der DDR since 1926 Radio DDR 1 radio East Germany Radio station by Rundfunk der DDR since 1953 DT64 radio East Germany Radio station by Rundfunk der DDR since 1964 Radio Berlin International radio East Germany International broadcaster for East Germany since 1959 (final broadcast bitter about "takeover") Latvijas Radio 1 radio Latvian SSR Radio station by Latvijas Radio since 1925 Lietuvos radijas radio Lithuanian SSR Started by Lithuanian National Radio and Television In 1926 Radio Tirana radio People's Republic of Albania Started by Radiodifuzioni Shqiptar in 1938 Radio Bulgaria radio People's Republic of Bulgaria Official international broadcasting station of Bulgaria since 1930 Horizont (radio) radio People's Republic of Bulgaria Since 1930 by the Bulgarian National Radio Kossuth Rádió radio People's Republic of Hungary First radio station by Magyar Rádió in 1925 Radio Polonia radio People's Republic of Poland Official international broadcasting station of Poland since 1936 Program 1 Polskiego Radia radio People's Republic of Poland Easy listening by Polskie Radio since 1926 Radio Bucuresti-România Radio România Actualităţi radio People's Republic of Romania Started by Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company in 1928 Radio Bucuresti Programul 2 Radio România Cultural radio People's Republic of Romania Started by Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company in 1952 Radio Bucuresti Programul 3 Radio3Net radio People's Republic of Romania Started by Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company in 1963 and rebranded in 1973 Radio Belgrade radio Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia started in 1929 Radio Moscow radio Russian SFSR Official international broadcasting station of the Soviet Union TV-First (Belarus) TV Byelorussian SSR TV channel by National State Teleradiocompany (started in 1956 ČST1 TV Czechoslovak Socialist Republic Started by Československá televize in 1953 (color 1975) ČST2 TV Czechoslovak Socialist Republic Started by Československá televize in 1970 (color 1973) DFF TV East Germany By Fernsehen der DDR starting in 1956 DFF2 TV East Germany By Fernsehen der DDR starting in 1969 (in color) ETV 1 TV Estonian SSR First Estonian TV station (1955) by Eesti Televisioon LTV1 TV Latvian SSR Started in 1954 by Latvijas Televizija (color since 1974) Lietuvos Televizija TV Lithuanian SSR Started by Lithuanian National Radio and Television In 1957 Televizioni Shqiptar TV People's Republic of Albania Started by Radio Televizioni Shqiptar in 1960 (color 1981) Bulgarian Television TV People's Republic of Bulgaria Official Bulgarian TV since 1959 by the Bulgarian Communist Party Efir 2 TV People's Republic of Bulgaria Second Channel by Bulgarian National Television (1974 start) m1 (TV channel) TV People's Republic of Hungary First channel by Magyar Televízió in 1957 m2 (TV channel) TV People's Republic of Hungary Second channel by Magyar Televízió in 1971 TVP1 TV People's Republic of Poland First Polish TV channel (since 1952) by Telewizja Polska TVP2 TV People's Republic of Poland Second Polish TV channel (since 1970) by Telewizja Polska TVR1 TV People's Republic of Romania Started by Televiziunea Româna in 1956 TVR2 TV People's Republic of Romania Started by Televiziunea Româna in 1968 Soviet Central Television TV Russian SFSR Main Soviet Union TV channel Soviet TV Channel 1 TV Russian SFSR Main (of four) Soviet TV channel (1938) All Union Programme TV Russian SFSR Second (of four) Soviet TV Channel (1960) Moscow Programme TV Russian SFSR Third (of four) Soviet TV Channel Fourth Programme TV Russian SFSR Fourth (of four) Soviet TV Channel UT1 (Ukraine) TV Ukrainian SSR Started by National Television Company of Ukraine (1956–1965 start) TVB TV Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia first broadcast in 1958 in Belgrade; covered all of Serbia by 1971; started color in 1971 Gosteleradio TV/radio Russian SFSR The official TV and radio broadcaster of the Soviet Union Belarusian Telegraph Agency wire service Byelorussian SSR Affiliated with TASS ELTA wire service Lithuanian SSR Affiliated with TASS Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union wire service Russian SFSR Established by the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union; Served 14 Soviet Socialist Republics Radio i Telewizja Polska TV/radio People's Republic of Poland Governed TV and radio broadcasts by Telewizja Polska Radio Television of Serbia TV/radio Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Governed TV and radio broadcasts