The first documentary films produced by the organisation were published in the 1950s in order to show the activities of the organisation and to promote them to the external public. In 1958 a unit for radio and television production was established and started to broadcast regularly images taken on the occasion of official visits of state presidents, journeys of the Director General, inauguration etc.

Wide range of subjects and types

The aim of UNESCO radio was to contribute to the understanding of the ideals that the Organization stands for, through discussion of issues in the field of education, science, culture and communication. Around fifteen 30-minute feature programmes were produced each year in at least three official languages of UNESCO, English, French, Spanish or Russian. Their subjects, chosen on the basis of their interest both for UNESCO and the general public, covered a vast field ranging from Aids to astronomy, from biodiversity to bioethics, from street children to indigenous peoples, from the violence of war to the culture of peace.
The recordings were offered on tape or cassette to over 400 national, public and community radios in all parts of the world (257 stations broadcasting in English, 60 in French, 60 in Spanish and 42 in Russian) as well as to international short-wave broadcasters.

Wide range of subjects and types

These sound records contain mostly floor recordings of conferences and other events, speeches of the Director General and other important persons and systematic recordings of all meetings of the General Conference and the Executive Board.