I think the fact that you were there (as an American, during the Cold War) shows they were more open minded than I thought!
I doubt ANY American TV channel invited people from the USSR to work for them, unless the person was a defector being interviewed. I would imagine this was during glasnost etc, but still!
It's really interesting to hear that you did this! What was your job there? What did people in the USA think about you going there? They must have thought it very radical!