In 1977, the station was nationalized by the Derg military government and renamed to the Radio Voice of Revolutionary Ethiopia.
[1] Radio Voice of the Gospel was established by the Lutheran World Federation in Ethiopia during 1961, under a 30-year contract with the imperial government of Haile Selassie.
Censorship increased after the overthrow of Haile Selassie in 1974, when the Marxist government suppressed broadcasts that they considered counterrevolutionary.
[1] Many of Radio Voice of the Gospel programs were compiled in nine regional studios in the countries to which they were broadcast in 19 different languages.
It aimed to be more general than many church-owned stations, as it broadcast news largely based on Reuters, as well as drama and other features.