Collection 190 [March 23, 2000]
Travers, Alan
Interview; 1981
2 Reels of Audio Tape
Restrictions
There are no restrictions on the use of this collection.
Biography
Before joining Trans World Radio, Travers had attended Barrington College and been Pastor of the Osterville Baptist Church, on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. While a college student, he had thought about the possibility of joining radio station HCJB in South America. He was introduced to the work of Trans World Radio through John Haut, co-founder of Northeastern Bible College, and after having TWR missionaries speak in his church, Travers decided to join the work.
Alan Travers joined the staff of Trans World Radio in 1959 as the Deputation Secretary. In
1970, he became New England Representative for the organization; in 1976, he assumed the
position of Director of Public Relations; and in 1980, he became Minister-at-Large for the
world-wide staff of TWR. At the time of the interviews, Travers worked for Trans World Radio.
Scope and Content
Alan Travers was interviewed by Galen Wilson on October 23 and November 23, 1981 at the office of the Archives. Travers discusses the founding, operation and ministry of Trans World Radio, and his role in the organization; sprinkled throughout the interviews are technical descriptions of frequency use and am, fm and shortwave broadcasting. The time period covered by the interviews in from 1959 to 1981. Time elapsed in minutes and seconds is noted in the margin to the left of the topics discussed. The index is keyed to a cassette copy of the interview, not the reel-to-reel original.
Tape T1 - side 1
00:00 Beginning of tape.
00:05 Introduction to interview on October 23, 1981.
00:30 Summary of activities as administrator with Trans World Radio (TWR): Morocco,
Monte Carlo, United States, travel and observations.
07:15 TWR policy on staff participation in local churches or forming expatriate
congregations: Bonaire, Monte Carlo, Guam, Swaziland, Sri Lanka. Government
restrictions on evangelism in Monte Carlo.
10:30 Circumstances leading to joining and stationing with TWR.
15:15 Description of TWR broadcasting methods, goals and impact: target audiences,
evangelism and nurture of Christians, religious liberty and witness in
Czechoslovakia.
24:15 Broadcast sites, frequencies, range of signals, languages.
29:45 Preferred use of indigenous broadcasters.
32:15 Programming: secular, music, educational. Accommodating needs and tastes of
audiences. Copyright complications.
37:00 Automation of studios and libraries.
39:00 Efforts to be culturally sensitive: language, indigenous music.
40:45 Paul Freed, the origins and early development of TWR; its philosophy of cultural
sensitivity; vision for work in Spain; consultation with President Truman, first
broadcast, film (Banderilla) on conditions in Spain.
44:00 End of side 1.
Tape T1 - side 2
00:00 Beginning of tape.
00:05 Overlap from side 1.
01:45 Continuation on early history of TWR. Move from Tangier to Monte Carlo.
05:00 Monte Carlo station: operation, arrangements, advantages to Monte Carlo.
08:00 Reactions to broadcasting and the Gospel: government opposition, philosophy on
political and controversial issues, among Muslims (especially in Egypt), Science
of the Bible program, psychology of radio listening.
15:15 Technical aspects and Dr. Muggleton.
19:00 God's provision: personnel, finances and operating costs, arrangements.
23:45 Relationships and cooperation: other stations, evangelical churches.
27:15 Translation of American messages (J. Vernon McGee) into culturally appropriate
form.
29:30 Finances: cost sharing with American broadcasters, impact of broadcasting in non-English languages, support base.
36:15 Focus on reaching audiences with limited or no exposure to the Gospel, impact of
broadcasting in the Soviet Union and South America.
42:15 Future goals for organizational and programming growth.
44:15 Conservatism of TWR compared with other evangelical broadcasters, fundamentalist
label.
46:15 End of side 2.
Tape T1 - side 3
00:00 Beginning of tape.
00:05 Overlap from side 2.
02:30 Continuation on characterization of TWR as conservative and fundamentalist, policy
on not broadcasting charismatic messages.
05:15 End of side 3 and interview.
Tape T2 - side 1
00:00 Beginning of tape.
00:45 Introduction to interview on November 23, 1981.
01:00 Evangeliums Rundfunk: communications branch of German Evangelical Alliance
(GEA). Broadcasting environment in Europe, Herman Schulte, composition of
GEA, exclusion of German charismatics.
06:45 Move to Monte Carlo: role of European evangelicals (particularly GEA and Schulte),
financial backing, ongoing relationship.
15:00 Evangeliums Rundfunk: origin, participation of clergy, Horst Marquardt (background
in Nazism, communism, broadcasting), leaders and activities.
21:45 German support of other TWR branches throughout the world, expertise and
innovations.
27:15 Broadcast sites for different stations and transmitter use, branch activities.
29:45 Sources of TWR finances, Canadian support.
32:30 Canadian branch: support, projects, staff, comparison with US branch.
36:15 TWR administration: centralization in US, personnel (particularly Ewart Hodgins and
Ted Bleich).
41:45 Expansion of TWR in southern Africa, background on northern Africa's broadcasting
coverage by ELWA in Liberia, invitation by church leaders and missionaries
(Africa Evangelical Fellowship), investigating possibilities.
46:15 End of side 1 (continued on side 2).
Tape T2 - side 2
00:00 Beginning of tape.
00:05 Overlap from side 1.
01:30 Continuation on establishing broadcasting in southern Africa. Selection of
Swaziland, rejecting South Africa from consideration due to apartheid,
negotiations with and attitudes of Swaziland's King Sobhuza.
07:15 Broadcasting to China: based from Swaziland, correspondence in response, language,
teaching English, government response, rationale.
12:00 Station in Guam (KQWG): licensing from the FCC and obtaining US military
clearance, contribution during typhoon, effectiveness.
21:45 Sri Lanka superpower station: targeting India, impact of presence of station to
national recognition, preliminary consideration of Thailand and Nepal,
negotiations with Sri Lankan government.
33:00 Cyprus station: uninterrupted broadcasting and neutrality during the 1974 hostilities,
evangelistic impact on the Middle East.
38:00 Arrangements with governments: negotiations, Paul Freed's role and skill in
negotiating agreements.
40:30 Paul Freed's role in TWR: administrative structure, ongoing involvement, anticipation
of his retirement, administrative style, contact with staff throughout the world.
46:00 End of side 2.
Tape T2 - side 3
00:00 Beginning of tape.
00:05 Overlap from side 2.
01:30 Continuation on Freed's role and oversight in TWR, international traveling,
04:15 End of tape and interview.
Provenance
The materials in this collection were received by the Center on October 23 and November 23, 1981, from Alan Travers.
Accession 81-119, 81-135
October 12, 1988
Lannae Graham
T. Jodon
J. Nasgowitz
G. Wilson
May 3, 1990
Paul A. Ericksen
LOCATION RECORD
Accession 81-119, 81-135
Type of Material: Audio Tapes
The following items are located in the AUDIO TAPE FILE:
T1 - Reel-to-reel 3-3/4, approximately 90 minutes (1 hour, 30 minutes), one side only. Interview of Alan Travers by Galen Wilson on October 23, 1981. Discussion of the founding and early history of Trans World Radio, Travers' role in the organization, it's broadcasting and programming philosophy, finances, effectiveness and TWR's founder, Paul Freed.
T2 - Reel-to-reel 3-3/4, approximately 95 minutes (1 hour, 35 minutes), one side only.
Interview of Alan Travers by Galen Wilson on November 23, 1981. Discussion of
Paul Freed, Evangeliums Rundfunk (German sister company), TWR's Canadian
branch, and it's stations in Monte Carlo, Swaziland, Guam, and Cyprus.