Radio Free Europe reportedly reached approximately how many people?

• A. 65 million
• B. 35 million
• C. 10 million
• D. 5 million

Answer: (B)

Broadcast reach is about how many people could access the broadcasts in the target region, not just how many listened every day. Radio Free Europe, operating into the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War, reportedly reached about 35 million people. This estimate comes from historical summaries that count the potential audience across multiple countries and languages where listeners could tune in via shortwave and other signals.

The figure reflects its broad penetration across Eastern Europe and parts of the Soviet sphere, even if actual daily listening varied by time and location. The other numbers don’t align with the commonly cited estimates: 65 million is higher than most sources suggest for RFE, while 10 million or 5 million understate the reach that is widely reported.