(Sanitized)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01676R000500100005-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 30, 2002
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: August 12, 1966
• Content Type: MF

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12 August 1966
ORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT:
1. This xneemorandum contains a recommendation in
paragraph 6 for approval by the Director of Central Intelligence.
2. Monday, I August 1966. 1 saw
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n Los Angeles.
later joined at lunch by his lawyer.1
3. These are two extremely pleasant and apparently
earnest young men. Their basic thought is that TV has an enor-
mous power to influence public opinion and it, therefore, should
have a responsibility to inform the public objectively and positively
on public affairs. Thus, in their opinion, not only CIA is getting
bad reporting in the press but also law-enforcement agencies have
been much maligned. Therefore, they have seised on CIA as one
which they believe they can do something about by doing a series
which would depict its role in Government; characterize its
employees as hard-working, intelligent, decent people; and
rena?eve the aura of mystery and fear that they believe surrounds
the Agency in the public eye.
4. 1 discussed the problems we have had In the past in
any sort of public-relations effort and our basic policy guidance
to avoid publicity. They rea&ly agreed that they could not have
any actual case histories or access to file of any sort but that
they were not willing to give up that easily. aid
it was up to him to get writers who could make the story and all
he wanted was guidance that the stories stayed within bounds of
actuality and gave a reasonably accurate picture of intelligence
activities. They were, for Instance, struck by the possibilities
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in the Cuban Missile Crisis--the story of bits and pieces of
information coming from all types of sources all over the world
into the intelligence machinery and ending with the intelligence
product guiding the President in his decision. I said of course
they were free to write any such story they wished but that we
could not be associated with it. They then questioned whether
they might get some senior retired official who could act as their
technical advisor. I said again we could not prevent this, although
such a person might have security problems. did
say that any such series to be effective should have the initials
'?CA" somewhere in the title. Again, we could not effectively
prevent this, although I think they might drop it if we asked them
to.
S. I It it that I was pessimistic as to any encouragement
from Washington but that 1 ,would discuss our conversation with
you and in due time let them have our reaction. My hunch is that
they might start off on a series with all good intentions, but once
they found the idea had less drama and public appeal than they
thought, the financial aspects would require them to go into a
typical espionage series with all the gimmicks, sex, and nonsense.
6. Attached is a proposed letter from me, and if you
approve I will dispatch it unless you want to write to them for
reason.
S/
The attached letter is
approved for dispatch
s/
Distribution
O-tC
,-1-D C1
1-ER
l-Aest to DCI
Central Intelligence
LAWRENCE R. HOUSTON
General Counsel
15 August 1966
Dates
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12 August 1966
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slew, California
STA
STA
I ve much enjoyed my meeting and luncheon with you
and I wish I could have taken up your offer to see
some of the sets in action, but I could not take the chance of
losing my plane reservation under present circumstances.
I have related our conversation to Mr. Helms and have
discussed your concept at some length. He, too, much appre-
ciates what you wish to do, and we went through the pros and
cans in considerable detail. Basically, the answer comes down
to the fact that our policy guidance is to keep out of the public
eye as much as possible. Obviously, we have not been too
successful in recent months, and since the publicity we have
received is not of our seeking, it is mostly bad. but the decision
is that this is something we will have to live with and hope to see
an end to this spate of public incidents.
We are not in a position, of course, to control any program
you wish to develop. nor can we forbid the use of the Agency's
name or initials in the title. If our wishes were to be considered,
however, we would hope that there would be no television series
purporting to portray the activities of this Agency, and we would
most earnestly hope not to have a series utilizing the name of the
Agency or Its initials. I am most reluctant to say this. as I am
convinced that you want only to help and that you believe through
television you could contribute to a healthier public opinion of
this Agency.
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If you want to talk further, I weld be glad to do so in
mid-September after my vacation, and in any case we are most
areetative of your thoughts and good wishes.
Sincerely,
Si
Lawrence R. Houston
General Counsel
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