Trans World Radio was founded on February 11, 1952, by Dr. Paul E. Freed in Spain. As a nonprofit organization it served the mass communication of the good news of Jesus Christ. The first message, "The Voice of Tangier", was broadcasted on February 22, 1954 in two languages, Spanish and English. The programs were aired from a small transmitter in Tangier, Morocco. On January 1, 1956, the station expanded by broadcasting programs to 40 countries in more than 20 languages. At the end of 1959, the organization was named Trans World Radio. At the same time, Dr. Freed began negotiating with Radio Monte Carlo in Monaco with the hope of continuing to broadcast from a transmitter building originally constructed for Nazi propaganda purposes during World War II. Today, TWR broadcasts via 13 own transmitters and by satellite:

  • Monte Carlo since October 1960 (for listeners in the CIS, Europe, and North Africa),
  • Bonaire Islands since August 1964 - to northern South America and the Caribbean,
  • Swaziland since 1973 - the transmitter located in the southeastern part of the continent of Africa broadcasts to sub-Saharan Africa and Pakist,
  • Cyprus since 1974 - Broadcasts are targeted to people in 21 countries in the Middle East and North Africa
  • Guam Island since 1975 - to Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Asia Pacific region,
  • Sri Lanka since 1978 - to India,
  • India Uruguay since 1981- to the "Cono Sur" (Southern Cone) of South America,
  • 1Abania since 1992 - from Tirana to Eastern Europe,
  • Russia since 1993 - into South Asia,
  • Johannesburg since 1994 - to South Africa,
  • Central Asia since 1996 - to Central Asia and the Middle East
  • Grigoriopol since 1999 - to Romanian, Bulgarian, Balkan, Serbia and Macedonia,
  • St. Petersburg since 2000 - to Northen Europe (Scandinavia and the Balticregion).

Today, TWR broadcasts more than 1,800 hours of Christian programs via more than 1,600 local stations in 160 countries in more than 180 languages and dialects.

Since TWR was established, it has always been searching for devoted nationals who are willing and able to serve their nation through radio. In the dawn of the ministry, when TWR signed the first contract for hours of programs in Monte Carlo, they looked for local volunteers to create programs. Since the 1980's the Lord gave an important vision to the leaders of TWR. They started to encourage and help national leaders to form their own organizations and to reach their nations with their own strategics. MERA (Hungarian Evangelical Radio Foundation) was born for this reason, too.

Hungarian programs have been aired since July 5, 1961 from Monte Carlo. A young Hungarian brother, József Steiner, who was known as Ödön Hevesi by the listeners, made the first Hungarian programs in Monte Carlo. In the beginning, other Hungarians took part in the process from America, Western Europe and Yugoslavia. Afterwards, some young believers recorded messages and music in Hungary and sent them to Monte Carlo as rough material for future programs, but they couldn't work publicly/openly.

In 1990, when ministries were allowed to operate, staff members of TWR visited those who secretly helped in making programs in the past. They encouraged them to continue their service in a nationally organised and personalised way; being a partner organisation of TWR. The statutory meeting was held in July 1991, and in February 11, 1992 the Capital Court registered the foundation-this was the official start of MERA. It has operated as a public benefit foundation since 1998.

Besides SW programs, on October 1 was the first Hungarian MW program aired. MW programs are still aired from Tirana from a transmitter that was built by the Russians to broadcast their atheist ideas to Eastern Europe. The first listeners' gathering in Budapest at the end of 1992 was a new initiative. In 1993 and 1995 it was followed by other similar meetings in the countryside and in Transylvania. "Antenna", the bi-annual bulletin of MERA was launched in 1993, and more than twelve thousand of listeners receive it today. In March 1995, the Lord opened a new door for the Hungarian evangelical radio ministry. We have had the opportunity to broadcast Hungarian programs by (Astra) satellite ever since. The same year we were given the opportunity to buy an office which could give place to a studio, an office and a store-room as well. The formal opening of the office was held on 17 June 1995. TWR established a new transmitter in Pozsony (Bratislava) that effected the broadcast of the Hungarian programs, too. Since then our programs have been aired from here.