MEMORANDUM OF MEETING: WORKING GROUP - COMMITTEE ON BROADCASTING AND TELEVISION (COBAT)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-01634R000300030050-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 14, 2000
• Sequence Number: 50
• Publication Date: October 7, 1957
• Content Type: MIN

Approved FotRelease 2000/08/27 : CIA-RDP78.011634R000300030050-1
NCONFIDENTIAL
OPERATIONS COORDINATING BOARD
Washington 25, D.C.
October 7, 1957
~EMORANDDN OF MrETING: ?Jorking Group - Committee on Broadcasting and
Television (COBAT)
30th Meeting held 10:00 A.M. October 4
Conference Room 2040 HEW Building
Working Group Members Present:
USIA - Mr. Robert E, Button, Chairman
State - Mrs. Florence Dowling (alternate)
ICA - Dr. Gerald Winfield
CIA - Representative present
Defense - Col. M. E. Williamson
CCB Staff - Mr, Ralph Busick
Marjorie Denny
Others Present: Major Stanley Rodby (Defense)
Mr. Richard Black (State) representing TPIB
1. A paper was distributed to the members of COBAT supplying information
on the World Wide Broadcasting System, Inc. This company owns and operates
WRUL, the only privately owned and operated international broadcasting station
in the United States. However, although ostensibly public enterprise, WRUL
operates under a subsidy of ti;350.,000 in the USIA budget and USIA supervises
its programs directed to Latin America. The Chairman felt that government
agencies involved in international broadcasting should be aware of the possi-
bility of the sale of the facilities of TJRUL, as the U.S. Government would
not want this station to get into the wrong hands. An inventory of NRUL facili-
ties will be prepared before discussion of this item at the next meeting..
2. The Chairman discussed the possible need for a psychological warfare
operation directed toward North Vietnam. A paper will be prepared for the
next meeting recommending that such a program be initiated. There have been
indications that the Defense Department might be interested in such an operation
but the stumbling block has been the number of foreign troops in Vietnams
The Defense member agreed to present his Departmentts views on this subject
at the next meeting.
3. The institution of a ham operator show for the Curtain areas, as a
source of certain information of interest to various agencies was next discussed.
The VOA had a 15 minute "ham" show for nearly four years, but it can no longer
afford such a program. It is therefore now asking for support from another
agency for a few minutes on its worldwide English broadcast to be devoted to
the interests of ham operators around the world. This was an extremely popular
program and., in the view of the Chairman, is the type of thing which should
be kept open as a people-to-people contact; additionally, such a program should
be supported for technical-monitoring purposes.
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CONFIDENTIAL
44, Copies of a paper on "Off-hour use of VOA transmittersrr were distributed
for exploration and discussion at the next meeting, This paper suggests that
RFE and RLN might use certain VOA. shortwave transmitters not now being fully
utilized by VOA
5,, The Chairman spoke of COBAT's need to establish a basic position o n
televisions, The Jackson Committee recommended that the U.S. should be prepared
to provide assistance to television industries in other countries while those
industries are in their formative stages. COBAT was therefore set up as an
inter-agency committee expressly for this purpose. But in order to carry out
the Jackson Committee recommendation., it is necessary that each member agency
establish its own position in the television field. A paper on this subject
will be prepared for discussion at the next meeting.
The discussion of East-West program exchange was stricken from the
agenda because this subject is being considered by the Working Group for Radio
and TVExchange (the Merrill Committee), an ad hoc group set up under the CCB
Special Committee on Soviet and Related Problems.
7. The ICA Representative reported on the development of a transistor
receives ;which vi ll operate in the standard bands on four flashlight batteries.
The total?Gost of the parts of this receiver is .;:13.11, which puts it within
the buying power of the upper half of the population of developing countries
such as Vietnam, Libya and Ethiopia. ICA is making arrangements for the manu-
facture of these receivers by private industry in countries developing indigenous
radio systems. It is attempting to see that export rights are restricted, that
some profit control is set up, and that manufacture shall not be on a monopoly
basis in any country. The implications of developing indigenous systems on
standard bands were discussed.
8. The minutes of the previous meeting were approved. The next meeting
will be at the call of the Chairman,
Ralph R. Busick
Staff Representative
CONFIDENTIAL
Approved For Release 2000/08/27 : CIA-RDP78-01634R000300030050-1