1955 DELIVERIES OF TELEVISION RECEIVERS TO THE USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A005900190001-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 13, 2008
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: February 11, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/02/13: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005900190001-9
CENTl AL INTELLIGENGE AGENG!
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY East Germany/USSR
SUBJECT 1955 Deliveries of Television
to the USSR
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
DATE ACQUIRED
This material contains information affecting the
National Defense of the United States within the
meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title 18, U.S.C.
Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revel-
ation of which in any manner to an unauthorized
person is prohibited by law.
REPORT L_
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
REQUIREMENT
REFERENCES
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
1. During 1954, VEB Sachsonwerk Rade'erg, one _f the enterprises under the
h i.n Administration for P.ad.i o and. Telecommunications Technology (HV RFT)
in Production rats General Mhehine3 Constriction of tie mast German Ministry
for Machine Construction, received an order for the export of 41,500 tele-
vision redei+ter?. to the USSR. The order specified that the sets
should b-1 delivered in a certain kind of container, each holding, eight
sets with their antennae and. other acces::eries. Dur-
ing1954, TiV RPT intervened sevr:ral times with the soviet Trade Delef?ation
in ;;r.st Berlin to have the USSR drop the special containers and accept
delivery of the receiving sets in ordinary wooden boxes. The Soviets,
however, refuses to do so. ..hen in i uguct 1954 the Technical TIE-ad of the
Radebergg enterprise went to Moscow for negotiations, it was pointed out
to Izi;a by the Soviets that the containers were practically of ..,ore value
to them ',Ilan the receiving sets.
2. There is only ine enterprise in mast a. ermany able to deliver the required
containers: VEd Maehifreecherverk Weimar `?. While the negotiations with the
Sovi?ts were going on, the East German State Planning Commission gave prd-
ducti.on orders to this enterprise which took up its entire capacity. At
the end of November 1954, the Soviets definitely i4efused to accept the
television sets lid thout the specified containers, Since
flth ~ tcapacitynofg
the ..eimar enterprise is fully disposed of for 1955 by
Couniisvion, the containers cannot be produced there. In early December
1954, a conference vi&s called with representatives of ITV RFT, the State
Planning; Cori':iic ion, and'. the. :irate Coi.1mittee_ for raterial Procurement, in
order to di.,scus:- the ,littu.tion whit:: threatens to idle 6,000 workers of
V$:B Sa.chseriwer'odu~ot
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Approved For Release 2008/02/13: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005900190001-9