News bulletins and feature programmes were broadcast in the UN's then five official languages – Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish – for 9 to 12 hours each day.

The 15-minute daily current affairs broadcasts consisted of news, interviews with UN officials, government representatives, diplomats and UN ambassadors, background reports, features, updates from peacekeeping missions and coverage of activities of United Nations organizations around the world.

In September 2014, UN Radio's parent office the United Nations Department of Public Information released two mobile apps, including UN Audio Channels (for Android and iOS), also in cooperation with AudioNow.

Similar to the call-to-listen service, app users can listen to UN Radio programmes as well as the live audio feeds from the UN General Assembly and the Security Council.

The AAPS implemented this goal by producing radio material for direct broadcast into South Africa, Namibia, and other countries in the region.

Originally seven, 15-minute scripts in English were translated into five South African languages (Zulu, Afrikaans, Xhosa, Sesotho, and Setswana).

In 1992, UN Radio established its first broadcasting facility on the ground as part of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia, UNTAC, led by João Lins de Albuquerque, a Swedish-Brazilian journalist.

They both provide information on the ground operations to the international news media, and also as act as broadcast partners in post-conflict and difficult to reach areas.

On Earth Day, UN News reached an estimated audience of 50 million in central and eastern China by sharing its programmes on the environment with Radio Shanghai.

When the Secretary-General visited the Central African Republic in October 2017, the French Language Unit provided comprehensive online, video and audio coverage for its target audiences.

The Kiswahili Language Unit continues to serve as an important source of information for audiences in Eastern Africa and the Swahili-speaking diaspora.

In the wake of the deadly attacks on Tanzanian peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in December 2017, the Kiswahili Language Unit, working with the United Nations Information Centre in Dar es Salaam, played a critical role in obtaining information and reaching out to partners, such as the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation, in delivering UN message to Kiswahili speakers.

The Spanish Language Unit produces daily radio news pieces as well as multimedia features on a wide range of topics, including migration, human rights and sustainable development.

Spanish-language coverage of the opening of the high-level General Assembly 2017 included interviews with the President of Panama, the Vice-President of Argentina and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Mexico.

In 1997, "The Child Sex Trade", a four-part-series exploring the global problems of commercial sexual exploitation of children, won the Silver Medal at New York Festivals International Radio Programming competition.

The Portuguese language service won awards for its weekly programmers Africa na ONU and UN in Action featuring top Government leaders, ministers, ambassadors and UN officials.