MOSCOW COVERAGE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00765A000100050013-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 9, 2009
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: October 3, 1960
• Content Type: LETTER

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 Approved For Release 2009/07/09: CIA-RDP80-00765A000100050013-5
20 September 1960
Effi MY
Foreign Broadest Information Service
2430 B. Street V. IV.
lashingto 25, D. C.
Chief
Dear Wages
Subject: Moscow Coverage
I as sorry that the background paper I promised has been delayed,
but I had hoped that the question of Mosoar German coverage milt be
resolved if I waited another week.
John Campbell am* in this morning to show me a copy of a letter
Sir Bersaford Clark has sent the Ambassador about a visit to Cavershaam
and we took the opportunity todiscuss several other questions. Among
than was the question of coverage and the minutes of the last Coordin-
ation Meeting.
I mentioned once again that in the minutes of the meeting the BBC
undertook to i 1ne the statement of requirements of P315 and to discuss
this matter further with MS. I said that since nearly a year had
elapsed I thaytM$it same sort of comment should be made by the BBC about
specific, questions raised by the minutes.
He said that it was not at all clear to him that the minutes
required any oor ent from him, although he would examine them once more
to see if any reply were required of the BBC.
In the course of the discussion which followed, he pointed out
that ?BIB and the B3 agreed in writing at the time of the BBC budiet
out in 1954 to reduce coverage. That reduction, ho said, was permanent
beceouse the BBC had never been allotted any money to restore the cuts
made at that time. Furthermore, he said, it in absolutely clear that
FEES can get no more coverage unless it dscideo that it can do without
some other coverage.
I replied that I did not see how one could consider a budget out
of a particular year necessarily permanent. I pointed out that since
1954 P315 had considerably expended its coverage whereas the BBC had
reduced its coverage.
STAT
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He reiterated that what took place before 1954 did not count since
FBLS had agreed to the BBC outs and that that agreement is in writing
and effective to this day. Actually, he said, the BBC had increased
its coverage above the level of 1954 and was keeping pave with expansion.
He said as regards the FEES expansion and coverage schedule that
it was all very pretty but FBZS did not actually cover material on its
coverage list. He oited what he said were the discrepancies between
the actual coverage of Hanoi and the coverage schedule, which he had
seen in Saigon. He added that there were many scores on which the BBC
was dissatisfied with FEES coverage, and this was particularly true of
Chinese Regionals.
Be then added that as the BBC had learned to compromise PIES would
have to oompromise, and that if I would permit him to speak frankly, he
felt I was lose ready to compromise than many others.
I replied that FMS in all my experience bad taken its ooveraje
schedule most seriously and that the schedule was carefully followed
every place I had ever been. I said that if the BBC found fault with
fIB coverage or processing, it should make its difficulties known.
Never, I added, had I hoard of any BBC difficulty with FBIS that I had
not handled immediately through the proper channels, and never had I
known a complaint to go without some kind of corrective action or
explanation. I said that I felt one could not compromise about import-
ant blocks of coverage such as 25 percent of the Serbo-Croat broadeasts
from ' osoow.
I fear that I annoyed John in pressing for an answer on this
coverage matter, but I find myself in a rather difficult position.
If I press for an answer, he becomes very unhappyt if I do not press,
he remains silent about our questions for months or even a year.
several times Washington has asked the BBC for items in messages
or letters - the Moscow coverage, CRx3 papers, External Services sohedulo
list, the C and W patch, and the routing of BBC requirements an Medbureau
through Washington - and John has simply not answered its questions.
I shall not prejudice any future discussion that you or otltiers
will have about Moscow and other coverage with John by having any more
exchanges with him along those present lines, althougbi I think it sound
that our discussions continued up to the point where his position of
inflexibility became clear.
I an not enclosing any letter such as might have be" written
John from Washington as I had mentioned, as this letter almost
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ooinaidd$ wit visit, aad I pregame you and ha hays STAT
disousood this matter ss$ be will be talking with the BBC.
ginoerely,
Chief, London
STAT
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