FOREIGN BROADCASTS

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005615974
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: June 24, 2015
• Document Release Date: March 25, 2011
• Case Number: F-2011-00412
• Publication Date: March 30, 1953

(b)(1)
APPROVED FOR RELEASE[]
DATE: 14-Mar-2011
6pcaived bp,a oh U,;,o ,b LI-IN eilann9e
SEL agT
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COUNTRY Czechoslovakia
SUBJECT `T-L:oreign?-Droadcasts
This
tlons t t Tieef#o nt of the Unitlnfmmauoed Bute. , WItht within tn{ a theen meNe-w-
9hz of Title IS.Secllon3793aA4W4,oftheU.S.CWa.m
ended. LU teln.n l.non oe teveletlen oflte content.
to of rnelpt by eo unauthotlud penun I. prohibited
by mw. 19e reproduction of this loom ft prohibited.
REPORT NO.
DATE DISTR.
30 March 1953
3
NO. OF PAGES
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE,
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
were usually very good, but quite exp w?--
NOT SECORDED
~EROXEO ORIGINAL:REMIT
Western broadcasts are the only source of factual information for the people
of Czechoslovakia. The Czechs look forward to these broadcasts, and it is my
opinion that the over-all effect of the broadcasts in good. Only a small
number of Czech families do not have radios, and they eventually bear about the
broadcasts from their follow workers, neighbors, close friends, or relatives.
Listening to foreign broadcasts is not forbidden, but spreading what one has
heard on the broadcasts is punishable by law.
2. I estimate. that as of June 1952,.80%. of all radio receivers in Czechoslovakia
were capable of receiving foreign broadcasts; the remaining 20% were not
equipped with short wave. During World WaW II, the Germans ordered that the `t
short wave units bad to be'removed from radios. When I left, radio sets had L+
to be registered with the postal authorities, and a monthly tax of approximately
20 crowns had to be paid to the postal authorities on each sat. Resistors,
condensers, both rotary and stationary, transformers, suppressors, and cabinets
were all in ample supply from war surplus stocks, but there was a serious
shortage of radio tubes for replacement. All radio tubes were repaired by a
branch of the former Phillips concern on Rarlova Namesti in Prague. Because
of this, amateur radio repairmen were doing a flourishing business. It sev dXP,p ORIGINAL-Rk7j,;,~,?E
to me that an effort was being made to replace all radio sets of foreign - -
manufacture (rimoril German and American) with Tes products. Tes diva
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otl:rr b..!::.,.?L:1 lluno;at v.i:fm for infotau t:itrh u.r. ri ntud.
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Appraintl of Content: A tentative o;.inion by the issuing mice as to the probable tie th of
the rep wt, (xlave:'d cilb,rr ten'ally or by n;eans nt :. uum4cr front I tin"ori, 15. It is based on
in meth: t:I) ..wila'de in fm?n.talon who'll m:q' m? Play not he complete, and doe's not purport to
con.-t:ttttc Ln it evaluation. The key follows:
L ('unlirn,tr! by other independent and reliable sources. 2: Probably tt'uc. 3: Possibly
tru". 1: Donotful. 5: Probably false. G: Uannnt be judged. Documentary: Based on
an original document which has been seen by :, stair member of the issuing oliirc.
The appraisal of content is indeper.;!rnt of the source evaluation. A "R" source may submit
a "d" report; .:n"T"' source mac submit a "I" rtpnrt. Ilelia.ble rou fees tend to prod';r?e accurate
repurts, and emnvrsely o s,?rids .r accurate I'';s,rts lends to cc'idii su the r-hw,htp of the
source, hut there is no nuceMary correlation in any particul:a? insturt c.
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 The' Czechs listened to almost all of the foreign broadcasts,
particularly those between 1800 and 2400 hours and early in the
morning. Jamming, of course, had the effect of cutting down
listening but it was not as effective in some localities as
others; it was particularly bad In Prague. Some listeners used ear-
phones which seemed to lessen the effectiveness of Jamming. Using
earphones had the added advantage of preventing those around you
from knowing to what you were listening. Jamming seemed to be
strongest during weekends and until midnight. I heard talk about,.
the stationary and mobile Jamming stations built by the
-Government; their design and efficiency allegedly was better than,
that of the German stations during World War II.
From their experiences in World liar It, the people learned to avoid
being caught listening to foreign broadcasts. My radio was not power-
ful enough to receive Western broadcasts, in addition to which'I was
afraid that the police would pay me a surprise visit, so I visited
friends to listen or was kept informed by people whom I trusted.
The house next door to me was occupied .y St3 officials and on
many occasions I heard VOA and BBC bro.,dcaetis through the wall
between the two houses.
In my opinion, foreign broadcasts are th? most effective means of'
propaganda for people behind the Iron Cut ain that has been used
up to this time. VOA, RYE, BBC, the Canacian Broadcasting Service,
and Radio Rome could be heard even in the most remote portions of
Czechoslovakia, and the programs were generally well diked. This'
was particularly true of VOA, BBC, and RFE. Some of the Czechs thought
of RFE as the voice of emigrants and nothing else, although RFE always
seemed to be well informed on events in Czechoslovakia. On the
other hand, on VOA they heard Czech-funericans. The most unfavorable.
thing I ever heard about VOA was that the broadcasts were so badly
jammed by the Communists..
On the whole I was satisfied with VOA broadcasts, but I do know that
the Czechs would like more news with commentaries; some people were
not able to listen regularly and therefore could not make a true
analysis on the basis of partial facts. In my opinion, VOA should
avoid too much praise of America and the West and stress the bad
conditions in Czechoslovakia. VOA should make every effort to keep
up with the latest events in Czechoslovakia. Those who pro pare
the broadcasts should know Czechoslovakia; they should keep in
touch with events in that country by listening to broadcasts from
Prague, reading Czech newspapers and talking to those who have
escaped from that country.
Although the Czechs do not want to hear too much praise of the US;-,
they do want to hear how the people in the US live, what they are
able to buy with their wages, how their homes are equipped, etc.
The Communists attempt to degrade everything that can be termed
"American" and continually criticize the American way. of life. They
often find material for their propaganda mills in Western broad-
casts; for.i-nstanee the musical programs of jazz-or beebop which
are broadcast as "something special". To the American public, inch
music may be something special, but it does not appeal to the
average Czech. The Communists point to this type of music as the
only type of music enjoyed by Americana, Regardless of how much
fun the Communist gag writers poke at the US; the Czechs will re-
-tain their good impressions of the US, they will still regard the
U6 as first" in everything, and will have faith in the strength
and 'help of the US. The Czechs look to broadcasts' from, the West to tell them, what steps the West is taking in the long process to''
liberate those behind the Iron Curtain, but they do not expect "
miracles. The Czechs do not like obvious propaganda, whether from
Moscow, their own government, or the West. One of the reasons that
the propaganda from Moscow has had so. little effect is that the
Communists do not realize the high, cultural level of the Czechs:
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 1PS~CRET - - ~.^D.`I ^ o
8. I Could like to make the following suggestions to be taken into
consideration in preparing broadcasts for the Czech people:.
a. All Communist charges should be answered by the West with
facts. If these charges go unanswered, the, people begin to
think that the charge is true, or that the West is not
capable of giving suitable answer.
b. The Czechs want to hear news of what is going on in the other
Satellites -- but. they want facts.
o. The people of. Czechoslovakia are always eager to bear the true
facts about those who have succeeded in fleeing their country;'
how they were received by the'West, and how they are making. a
living.
d. -Communist tyrants should be denounced by name and with facts at
every opportunity.
e. News programs and commentaries should be repeated so that.the
f. .From time to time, the embargoes levelled against Czechoslovakia
by the US and other-Western countries should-be explained; the
reasons for such economic measures should be spelled out. As I
recall, nothing was ever said on this subject by the West; the.
only time it was mentioned was by the Cometunists in.their "hate
America" campaign.
B, 8nmor would be greatly appreciated by the Czechs; the Czech.
comedian) Kohout, is well-liked. '
h. -The Czechs particularly like the semi-classical music of sIdh
composers as Kern,'Gershwin, Herbert, Romberg, and Friml.' They
like the modern music of Benny Goodman, Glen Miller,,and-Leroy
Anderson. In the classical vein, they like Dvorak, Smetana;.
Kubelik, Rudolph Firkusny, Jarmila Novotna. Until recently
VOA broadcast'a program by Fani-Sva (idrd. Eva) every evening'
about midnight. The program was 15 minutes of modern Amerloan.
;...,;jazz: This music was unpleasant to the Czechs, who did not
"understand it; I and most of the people I Imew switohed the.
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