Voice of America Bethany Relay Station, Radio broadcasting facility in West Chester Township, United States.
The Voice of America Bethany Relay Station is a historic radio facility on about 600 acres of former farmland with multiple shortwave transmitters for international broadcasting. The National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting displays the original control room and documents how the transmission technology operated.
The U.S. government built this facility in 1943 to respond to wartime propaganda by sending strong signals to Europe and South America. The transmitters remained operational long after World War II and played a role during the Cold War.
The station served as a lifeline for people in countries under authoritarian control, who took great risks to listen to broadcasts. Visitors today can grasp how important this connection was for millions seeking independent information.
The museum provides visitor access to the original control room and teaches through laboratory programs how the technology worked. The site sits in a rural area and requires time to explore all sections.
The transmitters were built by Crosley Corporation with powerful output and could operate on different frequencies to avoid signal overlap. This technical system was a noteworthy solution at the time for uninterrupted international broadcasts.
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