FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF NSC ACTION 1386B AND INCREASED RADIO TRANSMITTING FACILITIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-01634R000300020016-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 6, 1998
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: April 3, 1956
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Rele%wwb 1999/08/24: CIA-RDP78-01634R000300020016-0
ATTACHMENT 1
C DEPARTMENT OF STATE
0 THE UNDER SECRETARY
P U/OP
Y April 3, 1956
Memorandum fors Mr. Eimer Staats,
Executive Officer, OCB
From.: Arthur L. Richards
Subjects Full Implementation of NSC action 1286b and Increased R di
ansmit&iiia Faail,ties
At the Board Assistants' meeting on March 30, 1956, under Agenda Item 1,
the following was recorded in the Minutes:
"Requested the OCB Committee on Broadcasting and Television to prepare
a short report for the Board not later than six months hence, in addition
to any necessary special reports on individual problems which they may
desire."
The continuance of Soviet radio activities in the Balkan and Middle East
areas suggests the need for full employment of United States facilities in
accordance with previous NSC decisions.
At the Foreign Ministers! Conference, held in Geneva last October, the
Soviets rejected any arrangement which would lead to the freer interchange of
ideas and strongly defended their right to jam. It appears therefore that there
will be no let-up in the "war of ideas",
It is evident from the attached study, TAB A, that the effectiveness of
United States broadcasting directed to the Balkans, Southwestern and Central.
Russia, Asia and the Far and Middle East is insufficient in power to cope with
the redefined Soviet objective,
It is understood that the President and the Under Secretary at a meeting
of the National Security Council held on February 3, 1955, agreed that four
existing warehoused high.-power transmitters should be utilized in combatting
communist propaganda. The'Council, responsive to the desire of the President,
by action 1386-b (April 1955) concurred in principle with the activation of
additional high-powered transmitters.
The Operations Coordinating Board in a progress report to the National
Security Council dated February 7, 1956, indicated that the only action taken
to date in response to the Council's action is planning for the installation
of one of these transmitters in the vicinity of Tangier,
It is accordingly requested that the OCB working Group be called upon to
study the desirability, as a matter of urgency, of a) the full implementation
of NSC Action 1386b and b) the early installation of existing high.-powered short
and medium wave broadcasting transmitters in the Greek area,
(Attachment not available for di$tr#ution)
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ATTACHMENT 2
INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING FACILITIES
B?ickground
1. The National Security Council, by action 1386b on April 28, 1955
concurred in principle with the activation of additional high-powered
transmitters. The plan before the NSC on that date called for the
installation of two-500 KW shortwave transmitters at Tangier, one 1000 KW
mediumwave and two-500 KW shortwave transmitters in the Greek area, and
two-500 KW'shortwave transmitters in the Philippines, These plans had
been drawn up as the result of various engineering studies, all of which
recommended the use of "higher--power transmitters and higher-gain antennas".
Present Situation
2. The OCB Progress Report to the NSC on #169 dated February 1, 1956,
informs that the only action taken in response to the NSC's action is the
planning for installation of two-500 KW shortwave transmitters at Tangier.
One full year has now gone by without any real implementation of the NSC
action - a considerable time in view of the fact that the installation of
such facilities takes from 2 to years.
3, The international situation is continually worsening. As pointed
out by the State Department, at the Foreign Ministers' Conference held in
Geneva last October, the Soviets rejected any arrangement which would, lead
to the freer Interchange of ideas and strongly defended their right to jam.
Since then the steadily increasing jamming capabilities of the Soviets
have not been matched by improvement in U.S. technical broadcasting
capabilities,
4. TPIB and COBAT have studied the coverage of present U.S. broad-
casting facilities directed toward the Middle East, the Balkans, Southwestern
and Central Russia, Asia and the Far East. It is their opinion that present
facilities are inadequate and that the plan approved over a year ago should
be implemented. The U.S, is in danger of losing the "war of ideas" because
it is not fully utilizing its available resourc . The total broadcasting
facilities of VOA represent over 14.million capacity; of this total,
over 6 million watts (42%) previously ordered and delivered are still in
storage.
Recommendation
5. TPIB and COBAT therefore recommend that the Board urge that the
responsible agencies take necessary steps to achieve full implementation of
NSC Action 1386fi, with bLidgetary provision therefor, as a matter of urgency.
Specific actions required to secure full implementation are;
April 19, 1956
SECRET
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SECRET
a. Expedite the project in the Tangier area,
b. Implement the original plans in the Greek area on land where
base rights have already been negotiated (installation of one 1Q00 KW
mediumwave and two 500 KW shortwave transmitters) rather than present
plans, which are considered inadequate, for one 500 KW mediumwave
transmitter to be operated at one-half power (250 EN),
c. Implement i,;.ie activation of two 500 KW shortwave transmitters
in the Philippines as originally submitted t: the NSC, in addition to
the installation of two 100 KW shortwave transmitters as recently pro-
posed.
(signed by)
T. H. E. Nesbitt
for The Technical Panel for International Broadcasting
and The Committee for Broadcasting and Television
-2.* i5ECF ET
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