RIAS: Feeding information to starved city

For much of the Cold War, RIAS -- Radio in the American Sector -- was West Berlin's communication lifeline with the non-communist world. Founded by the U.S. government in 1946 as DIAS (Wire Broadcasting in the American Sector), RIAS gave West Berliners news and entertainment.

During the Soviet blockade of Berlin, information was as much a commodity as basic food staples. RIAS helped fill the city's desperate need for news during the airlift. Its reporters also covered other Berlin-based Cold War crises, such as the East Berlin revolt of 1953 and the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961.

Listen to RIAS reporter Juergen Graf's 1948 broadcast on airlift operations at Berlin's Tempelhof airport. (Windows Media Player required)

The report, in German, is accompanied by text translation into English.