LETTER TO JOHN T. CAMPBELL FROM (SANITIZED)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00765A000100040036-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 18, 2009
• Sequence Number: 36
• Publication Date: August 13, 1957
• Content Type: LETTER

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e
y ? SECRET tat
THE BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION
A Head Office : Broadcasting House, London, W.1
Caversham Park, Reading, Berks.
TELEPHONE: READING 72742 TELEGRAMS AND CABLES : BROADCASTS, TELEX, LONDON
29th July 1957
In my letter to you of 18th June I told you that
I was hoping to obtain the necessary funds to conduct an
experimental operation in Tehran for some six or eight months,
for the our'ose of evaluating the material which can be
monitored from there. I am now glad to say that the
necessary authority has been given, and that I hope shortly
to set up a small operation there on the same lines as
Stockholm. Accommodation at the moment is causing a slight
difficulty, but as soon as the way is clear I will go ahead
with the necessary arrangements. My intention is to go
there myself with Rubinstein and an Engineer to start the
thin; off, ultimately leaving one monitor to record and send
back the belts to Caversham for transcript.i_on.
As we will certainly find a degree of overlap
between the transmissions receivable in Tehran and those
monitored in Cyprus, I would prosose that, itf -Ton Free,
Rubinstein on his way to 'Tehran should spend perhaps two
days at Kzrrenia, in order to make himself completely
familiar with the uu-to-date reception conditions there in
so far as transmissions which might he receivable in Tehran
are concerned. If you see no objection in this, I would be
-glad to have a signal from you on receipt of this letter, as
I am hopinc7 - possibly optimistically - to -et t.hinaTs
started in two or three weeks.
1V
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2?th July 197
.~I:s I said in my previous letter, the m?t-rial
monitored from Tehran will be made avail-ble to your London
Rare-u in the usual way, snd I shall in due course hope to
h^ve from you -n assessment of its value by your consumers.
I am afraid I have as yet no further information
to Jive you on the reactions at. this end to zrour African
survey, but I would appreciate any information which you
have as to the likelihood, or otherwise, of your obtainin-
aut.hori.fv to carry out any or -a11 of your prorposals in ti-is
direction. I will, of course, keep you informed of ccnv
oevslonments here or nropossls which may emerte.
I look forward to seeing you in October, nd
wonder whether Iron are visiting us .ft the beainnin; or end
of our trip, and when you will be leering W shin_tnn. No
doubt Mrs. Anderson gill he -hle to let me have this
informption in due course.
With kind regcrds,
Yours sincerely,
J
J. T. Campbell
Head of Monitorin.f Service
W..S!-.ington
U.
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Head Office : Broadcasting House, London, W.i
THE BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION
Caversharn Park, Reading, Berks.
TELEPHONE : READING 72742 TELEGRAMS AND CABLES : BROADCASTS. TELEX. LONDON
18th June 1957
STAT
Thank you for your letter of 20th May which
crossed mine to you of 29th M-y, in which I told you that
I hoped to let you have comments i:. cue course on the
report of your recent African surve;'. I am not vet in a
position to give you any official comment, but you have
asked me for my own person,. view and I will willing give
it to you, on the uiiderstFnain,? th it I cannot com..,it
either the BBC or our official users here to anything at
this stage.
There is no doubt in my mind that coverage of
Africa is a task which ht s irr.norta.nce at the moment and
certainly will have greater importance as time roes on.
From the point of view of value of material, I would place
North Africa and East Africa as of greater importance
than Hest Africa. The latter, I think, will always be
inclined to have limited interest as compared with the
other two. As between Nortn Africa and Est Africa, my
feeling is that short term monitoring of North Africa is
going to be very valuable, but I in Inc nee`~fo t^~nk that
long term monitoring in Last kfrica will become even more
important, and^I think undoubtely this is true fror^ the
British point of view. If the 33C -,ere to loin with you
in this overall monitori::.v e'fort, own feelin- would be
that I would like to nt_rticiprte iz thP operation, and
perhaps assume re. ponsinili ty for the Ea. t African -over-
age. If we were Able to set. up , :nonitorin.? station say
in Mairo-big woul.c seem to have comparable acivanta - es as
a site to Asmr--ra.. and in ac~ition it woula ',)e able to
serve the Commonwealth territories in thsit area which are
at the moment doing a certain amount of local monitoring.
STAT
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4P ?
This is in addition, of course, to any monitoring-in the
East African area and would strengthen our joint coverage
of the Near and Middle East.
From this, I think it will be clear that my
own personal opinion is very strongly for our taking on
this task, and I an trying to interest our people in it
at the present time. Whether or not this will become a
practical possibility is, of course, another matter as funds
for increased monitoring are not at all easy to acquire. I
will let you know, as soon as I as in a position to do so,
what the official reaction here is, but I would like you to
_aw my own views about it and the way I as trying to
influence matters at this end. You will, I know, a:,preciate
that this is entirely a personal view and expressed to you in
confidence and clrinot is an wa conL, as
either the BBC or our Government.
I an very sorry I have not sent you before a
copy of Rubinstein's survey in Likara and Tehran. I have
been waiting deliberately until I could give you further
information Pbout likely developments in that area. I
enclose a copy of this report, from which you will see that
we feel there are distinct possibilities about Tehran, and
what I want to do is to\conduct an experiment; starting as
soon as the necessary-funds-can be made available and
continuing for six or eight months so that an evaluation of STAT
the material Bonito le from Tehran can be made. I have
got the support of sad the Foreign Office for this
and mm at the present moment waiting the result of a request
to the Treasury for the necessary funds to be made available.
Isis not unhopeful that this may be forthcoming, but, of
somrse, one cannot be certain until formal Treasury approval
has been given. I will let you know as soon as things have
reached this stage and what plans emerge thereafter. My
intention, assuming funds are forthcoming, is to conduct
an operation on the same lines as Stockholm, i.e. record
material in Tehran and transcribe the belts in Caversbaa.
STAT
18th Jane 1957
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0 #9
This, sa you will anpr!-cis:te, is the mo ', economicaL way
of unaertakin such Fn doer-.lion, - nd will enR.hle us I
hope to assess its value 'nc see '.hether it is worth
while continuing' on E permsWent 5nsis. The n.-terial will,
of course, be .male availf:'-ale ;.o your 3,.iraau here in the
seine way As our oth'r F'~--ion'l Tonitorinr, end if it comes
off I will look forward *o h-vin,? -.-our evRlurtion ilso in
due course.
I F'n much looki-i to ,your visit 5a the
autumn becnu e tie will hs ve r:!!ny thin=-s to discus e
together, r_nc v th' t time I woulc ti-avP hopep th, ! -,,P mr v
have atrrted the Tehrsn operRtio:k 'nc some results mr_y,
have come in.
Yours sincerely,
J. T. CAi,.'hell
Heed of L!onit,oring Service
STAT
Washington 25, .
U.S.A.
JTC/JB
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