JOINT COORDINATION COMMITTEE MEETING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00765A000100030116-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 20, 2009
• Sequence Number: 116
• Publication Date: February 24, 1955
• Content Type: LETTER

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FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICE
AMERICAN EMBASSY
LONDON, W. 1.
Chief, FBIS
2430 E Street, N.W.
'Washington 25, D. C.
Subject: Joint Coordination Committee
Meeting
I.uch has happened since you wrote your letter of 20 January
requesting comment on BBC services, so that some of what is said
below may need to be reconsidered in the near future in the light
of coverage and other retrenchments. Unless the reductions, however,
should be accompanied by some reorganization it seems likely that
FBIS processors will continue to be confronted with the same problems.
l comments, therefore, will be on the basis of services as presently
rendered and will follow the enumeration of the Memorandum of the
Chief, RPB.
1. I think it is generally agreed that the BBC has maintained
a high ratio of coverage to output, particularly in the Soviet Home
and European services, and that FBIS requirements have in the main
been met. Quality of the material produced is admittedly unequal,
but that of the most competent and conscientious monitors is indeed
of a high order and wortluof FBIS emulation. Praise for the truly
admirable reference library is richly deserved, but I think it might
be linked with an expression of appreciation of the many monitors who
have proved a valuable source of information for analysts doing
research in various aspects of radio behavior.
2. It can also be said that for the most important Soviet
materials, BBC supplies routinely all text requirements. This service
extends as well to the speeches of top Satellite leaders. Performance
is less satisfactory, however, for secondary orbit leaders and
Party organ editorials. If .'ashington will supply the names of these
leaders and publications from which texts are desired, an attempt will
be made to have them supplied. It is believed that such an effort
will prove generally successful if the approach is made with proper
consideration for BBC manpower capabilities.
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3. Orientation of new monitors would not, I think, prove very
effective without prior orientation of the old ones and to Jo this
systematically for a staff of 125 would be a task of forbidden:
ma.anitude and doubtful success. B: far the larger part of ou;-
difficulties lies not in imnorance of our requirements on the part
of the monitors, but in the inconsistent and inadeouate performance
of them. This failure is due to what mght be described with all
due respect as the basic defect of the BBC system from our point of
view--the weakness of the immediate supervision over the monitors.
Our requirements may indeed be passed on from H.R.U. to Senior
Assistants to team leaders or individual monitors, but no one watches
over the product to insure that our needs have been attended to. Even
further, the monitors, as you know, are virtual arbiters in choice and
procedure and the work is distributed independently and unchecked.
Since the BBC News Bureau's needs are limited in scope and differ from
ours in many important respects, and since the BBC Editorial processes
and publishes a day or more after the broadcasts, it is the EBS
editors who are on the front line and who act as copy screeners for
both services. Orientation, if undertaken at all, could be l meted to
ice Senior Assistants, except for the fact that these men apparantly
do not genuinely supervise the monitors' production. As far as 7.37:S
editors are concerned, their functions are restricted to acting cs a
channel for our routine req.tests and queries. This is a delicate
subject, of course, and we have. done nothin; so far to even hint at
d_.ssatis#action, let alone suggest organizational reforms. It seems,
however, that until these Senior Assistants or the team leaders are
made real supervisors, one of whose responsibilities would be checking
monitors' copy for requirements, accuracy and standardization, we shall
continue to have to deal almost entirely with individual monitors of
variable interest and performance.
4. In view of its importance the Russian team is, in fact, soie-
what below standard, although a few monitors have long experience and
outstanding ability, Of these, Arnoldi is certainly one, des cite his
Italian origin. Bilibin and Rubinstein should also be included, even
if they are nominally Senior Assistants. Bilibin in particular often
works on important statements. These men cannot be considered as
unsophisticates or as lacking knowledge of or interest in Soviet
affairs. The painful truth is that personnel losses in the last two
years have been irretrievable. Recruits are hard to find and those
that are hired are not up to the standard of the old hands.
5. Of the remaining teams, it seems generally agreed that the
Bulgarian, Rumanian and Arabic are the poorest. It is to be hoped
that the impending reduction in coverage and force will leave the
s C with the best in these languages.
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Little remains to be said in connection with the retaining
points in your letter, since you have had the BBC proposals and have
commented on them. Your comments were just what Campbell wanted
and are now receiving the closest study. He thinks his hand will
be strengthened by your strong stand for East German and Moscow
external coverage. The budget cut as published amounts to 1,25,000
and will involve the separation of 25 from the Reception Unit alone.
If East Germany goes and they -et no material from us, Part III of
the Summaries will be discontinued, with the dropping of about five
from Editorial. Incidentally, Kit Saltmarshe has received an appoint-
ment as editor of "London Calling" and will leave shortl-r after Campbell's
return from the U. S. His successor is not yet named.
No further trouble is anticipated in connection with RBJTdt' s
association with TASS and DPA, although one wonders, as !ou suz;o sty
whether it may not break out again some day on another front.