PROGRESS OF RADIOFICATION IN USSR, MAY 1952

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700070347-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 19, 2011
• Sequence Number: 347
• Publication Date: July 14, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL
D
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCEOWUQft
Y
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS
COUNTRY USSR
SUBJECT Econi,mic - Communications, radio
HOW
PUBLISHED Daily newspapers; monthly periodical
WHERE
PUBLISHED USSR
DATE
PUBLISHED 8 Feb - 16 May 1952
LANGUAGE Russian
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REPORT
CD NO.
DATE OF
DATE DIST. /q Jul 1952
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
SOURCE Newspapers and periodical as indicated.
PROGRESS OF RADIOFICATION IN USSR MAY 1952
ffiumbers in parentleses refer to appended sources-.7
At present, 120 powerful radio stations are operating in the USSR.(l) The
power of wired radio relay centers in the USSR was 3.5 times greater at the end,
of 1950 than in 1945. During the same period, the radio receiving network had
increased 75 percent in comparison with the prewar level, while the assignment
for the construction of radio broadcasting stations has been surpassed by 39
percent.(2) In 1951, the total number of wired radio relay centers in the USSR
increased 10 percent, and the number in rural areas, 20 percent. The output of
radio receivers in 1951 increased 16 percent in comparison with 1950. The com-
plete radiofication of the USSR, which, according to a May 1952 source, m 4,
be completed in the next few years, requires that the total number of wired
radio relay centers be more than doubled and the number in rural areas more than
tripled.(3) By 1955, the number of wired radio speakers in the USSR in 1949
must be tripled, according to the source.(2)
RSFSR
The number of wired radio speakers in Moscow Oblast, which increased by
more than 35,000 in 1951, has reached 556,000. In addition, kolkhoz workers,
workers, and employees have more than 141,000 radio receivers.(4)
In Leningrad Oblast, more then 3,000 new wired radio speakers began opera-
tion on 7 May. In the 15 months prior to May 1952, the cumber of wired radio
speakers increased more than 25,000. Half of this number was installed in
kolkhozee, sovkhozes, and MTS. Communications workers have built 600 kilometers
of radio lines in a year and intend to install wired radio speakers in 14,000
kolkhoz households.(5)
Around 90 wired radio relay centers operate in Smolensk Oblast. Radio
amateurs have installed around 1,400 vacuum-tube receivers, 20,000 crystal sets,
and 19 school and kolkhoz wired radio relay centers which are now serving more
than 3,000 wired radio speakers; they also repaired and restored around 1,100
vacuum-tube receivers and a series of wired radio relay centers.(6)
CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIA L
NAVY NSR8 DISTRIBUTION
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The 1951 plan for radiofication was not fulfilled in Kirov Oblast, the
Tatar ASSR, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Krasnoyarsk Kray,and Chita Oblast. In Sverdlovsk
Oblast, formerly one of the advanced ones in radiofication, the number of wired
radio speakers actually diminished in 1951. Certain organs of communications
did not show enough initative, and industry failed to put out an adequate num-
ber of spare parts.(7)
Estonian SSR
In comparison with 1945, the . nber of wired radio speakers in 1951 had
grown 240 percent, the number of wired radio relay centers 203 percent, and
the number of radio receivers 428 percent. Some rayons give inadequate atten-
tion to radiofication, and the credits allocated for radio relay work in 1951
were not fully absorbed.(8)
Latvian SSR
The more than 200 wired radio relay centers operating in the Latvian SSR
serve 69,000 wired radio speakers. In addition, 107,000 receivers have been
installed in the houses of workers.(l) Criticisms have been directed at the
Ministry of Communications for failing to give the proper support to Latvian
communications workers in their efforts to establish the combined o eration of
electrical means of communications.
The Minister of Communications acknowledged the validity of these
criticisms and reported that corrective measures had been undertaken.(9)
Lithuanian SSR
At present, 340 wired radio relay centers, to which around 60,000 wired
radio speakers have been connected, operate in the Lithuanian SSR; 13,000 of
the speakers are in rural areas. The power of the radio broadcasting stations
has been augmented several times and more than 50,000 radio receivers have
been installed. The 1952 plan calls for building 100 new kolkhoz wired radio
relay centers and for the installation of 5,000 wired radio speakers. There
are fewer than 50 specialist radio operators in the whole republic and more
than 1,000 radio specialists.(10)
Belorussian SSR
On the basis of 1940 figures, the number of wired radio speakers in the
Belorussian SSR, as of May 1952, had grown 161.2 percent, and the power of the
wired radio relay centers had increased 335.5 percent.(11)
Ukrainian SSR
The power of the wired radio relay centers in the Ukrainian SSR in 1950
had grown 3.5 times in comparison with 1945, and the radio receiving network 75
percent in comparison with the prewar level. In 1951, 500 new wired radio re-
lay centers and more than 250,000 new wired radio speakers were installed in
the republic, while more than 10,000 kilometers of radio relay lines were laid.
Since the beginning of 1952, more than 100 new wired radio relay centers have
been built and almost 80 percent of the kolkhozes in the republic have been
radiofied.(12) In Stanislav Oblast, 17 powerful wired radio relay centers have
provided an opportunity for the radiofication of 85 villages and 94 kolkhozes
and for the irstaj.lation of 9,000 wired radio speakers. The 1952 plan calls
for the construction of 23 new wired radio relay centers, for building relay
lines to 500 kolkhozes, and for installing 15,000 wired radio speakers in the
houses of kolkhoz iorkers.(13)
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Georgian SSR
The radio facilities of the Georgian SSR do not satisfy the needs of the
population, particularly i rural areas. The present power of the 342 wired
radio relay centers which now serve 113,328 wired radio speakers is used in-
adequately for further radiofication. Only 24,419 of the total number of
radio speakers and 3,200 of the 46,137 radio receivers in the republic are
located in rural areas. There are few wired radio speakers in Poti, Batumi,
and a series of other towns. Radio broadcasting in Georgia is at present con-
ducted on wave lengths 1,500 and 59-52 meters. In a 24-hour period, local
broadcasting and relay broadcasts from Moscow total 21 hours, of which local
broadcasting amounts to 8.5 hours. The audibility of republic broadcasts was,
according to a May 1952 report, still unsatisfactory and regional wired radio
relay centers needed to be equipped with better receiving installations.(14)
Armenian SSR
The radiofication of the Armenian SSR is scheduledlto be completed by the
end of 1955. The full radiofication of more than 500 populated points has been
completed. In 1951, the radiofication of 48 rural communities was completed.(I5)
There are now more than 50,000 wired radio speakers (16), and, in comparison
with 1950, the number of radio receivers in the possession of the population
increased 50 percent. The 1952 plan foresees the installation of 5,000 wired
radio speakers in kolkhozes and the radiofication of 52 villages. More than 50
of the kolkhozes in the republic have their own wired radio relay centers, but
many of them operate with interruptions due to improper technical care, breaks
in the supply of electric power, and defects in the relay network.(15)
Azerbaydzhan SSR
The progress of radiofication in Azerbaydzhan SSR is unsatisfactory. The
plan for the installation of wired radio speakers in the first quarter of 1952
was not fulfilled.(17) Existing facilities are used +nadequately. For example,
in Zbdanovikiy Rayon one wired radio relay center for 1,000 wired radio speakers
was built in 1948, but up to this time it only has 386 subscribers. Radio
speakers have not been on sale in the rayon for 2 years.(18) The 1952 plan
calls for the installation of 18,000 wired radio speakers, of which 10,000 must
be, according to the source, put in kolkhozes.(17)
Kazakh SSR
In the sovkhozes of Kazakh SSR, 238 wired radio relay centers relay broad-
casts to 11,000 wired radio speakers.(19) In Alma-Ata Oblast, 11 kolkhoz wired
radio relay centers and 4,000 wired radio speakers have been installed. Plans
call for the construction of nine wired radio relay centers and the installa-
tion of 1,550 wired radio speakers. It was reported that far more could be done
if the necessary materials and equipment '4ere available. In 1951, only 1,600
loud-speakers instead of 12,000 were received and the situation was reported
unimproved in 1952.(20)
Uzbek SSR
In comparison with 1940, the radio network of the Uzbek SSR has grown four
times and the total power of radio stations has increased 11 times. In the 16
months prior to may 1952, the workers of the republic have acquired around
25,000 radio receivers, and 265 kolkhozes have their own wired radio relay cen-
ters. The existence of a network of electric power stations was said to pre-
sent .a favorable opportunity for the speedy radiofication of the republic. Ac-
cording to a May 1952 source, unfortunetely, many kolkhoz wired radio relay
centers suffer from technical defects, while workers complain justifiably that
spare parts and loud-speakers are not available.(21)
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In comparison with 1936, the number of wired radio speakers in the Turkmen
SSR has been increased 650 percent. Nov 11,200 more wired radio speakers have
been installed in kolkhoz villages than there were in 1536.(22)
1. Riga, Sovetskaya Latviya, 7 May 52
2. Kishinev, Sovetskaya Moldaviya, 7 May 52
3. Moscow, Izvestiya, 7 May 52
4. Moskovskaya Pravda, 7 May 52
5. Leningradskaya Pravda, May 52
6. Moscow, Radio, No 4, APr 52
7. Moscow, Pravda, 7 May 52
8. Tal.lin, Sovetskaya Estoniya, 7 May 52
9. Pravda, 22 Feb 52
10. Vil'nyus, Sovetskaya Litva, 7 May 52
11. Minsk, Sovetskaya Belorussiya, 7 May 52
12. Kiev, Pravda Ukrainy, 7 May 52
13. Ibid., 8 Feb 52
14. Tbilisi, Zarya Vostoka, 7 May 52
15. Yerevan, Kommunist, 8 May 52
16. ibid., 7 May 52
17. Baku, Bakinakiy Rabochiy, 7 May 52
l8. Ibid., 6 Mar 52
19. Pravda, 16 May 52
20. Alma-Ata, KazakhstanskaYa Pravda, 28 Mar 52
21. Tashkent, Pravda Vostoka, 7 May 52
22. Ashkhabad, Turkmenskaya Iskra, 7 May 52
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