ABSTRACT
The Voice of Truth and the National Voice of Iran were just two of many clandestine stations broadcasting from the communist bloc during the Cold War era. Ironically, the easing of Cold War tensions and the spread of democracy in Eastern Europe and elsewhere have not meant fewer clandestine radio operations but more. Although most communist-inspired or Soviet-backed stations went off the air after Presidents Reagan and Gorbachev ended the Cold War, clandestine radio traffic worldwide has increased since then, perhaps one manifestation of unleashed nationalism and demands for political democracy. The only Marxist clandestine stations remaining on the air in the post-Cold War era are operated by groups with few direct ties to the former Eastern bloc, broadcasting to countries with highly repressive governments. The increase in regional ethnic conflicts around the world suggests that the number of clandestine stations also is likely to increase, despite the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet bloc.
