EXPLOITATION OF RADIO AMATEURS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-03097A000200050084-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 12, 2008
• Sequence Number: 84
• Publication Date: March 8, 1949
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2008/11/13 :CIA-RDP78-03097A000200050084-8
Assistant Director for Operations
Ghief, li'HIB
rzploitatioa o! Radio Amateurs
8 liaratz 1949
1. FBIB has deter~e?d that for its o~m purposes information
from "ham" aparators is of negligible value. ~s are interested
is logging other as~tteur stations, and in general ~ not compete
with *IDC fans" ias laggfng b1'~oadt~sat trasiamittsrs.
2. Azaateurs gold brief, usually technitaa],, conversations with
as many other amateurs as possible. The majority of U.B. amatearar
are loosely associated with the A~RL. L;SSB and Batellite amstsursf
on the other harm, ere apparently closely cx~rttzollsd by their *clubs" s
working in sours inatanoes~ at i~at, under the direction of a super-
risor furnished by the slab. Their coavarsations are oon!`inad to a
standard pattern of aan-.coesn3.tt~. information conosruing reosption
d~nditions, etc.
3. Eacoept for possibilities in the aoxu~ter-espionage tYeld, it
is beliereci that eaploitatian of amateurs with nfex~snos to the USSA
and :satellites could lead at best only to information eoaoerni,ng the
lunation of hw tranamittars, an itea of dubious intelligence Value.
4. If it is ns~rerthelsss desired to sshau-tt the possibilities
of the project, ~oAtacts Branch should make axi approeoh thrva~,h the
ARRL to individual a~ratenrs who nicks a practice of working Soviet or
Satellite hare.
Approved For Release 2008/11/13 :CIA-RDP78-03097A000200050084-8