FOREIGN BROADCAST LISTENING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000400550005-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 25, 2013
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: July 13, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @50-Yr2013/04/25 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000400550005-1
'uiooiriVHI ivii SECRET 'V I V J( 11
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
NFO-RMATION, REPORT
COUNTRY
SUBJECT
USSR
Foreign Broadcast Listening
PLACE
ACQUIRED USSR
DATE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF INFORMATION
TM1i DOCVY[MT COM TAIN{ INfONYOTION AFFECTIM{ TN[ MATT OV AL D[F(N {[
01 TNL UNITED STA Tf f. YITNIN TN[ M91:1
{ Of TI TI[ 1.. f[CTI ONE 7{(
AND T... OF TM[ U.N. COD[. A[ A..NDE. ITS T[ANIYI5210N O! N[Y[.
LOTION OF ITf CON i[N T{ TO ON N[C!ITT NT-AM UNAV TNDN,1 [[D PRISON 1{
INONINIT[D NY LAY. TNf N[INDOVCTION Of THI^ FONN -If INONIIIT[0.
50X1.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION 50X1
There are no regulations which forbid reception of foreign broadcasts. However
there is a law forbidding spreading false -rumors and anti-State sentiments, so
that a person who listens and talks openly about what he has heard can be arrested
under this law. Enforcement is not uniform- 50X1
Curiosity plays the greatest part. This is a common disease of the Russian
people, and the Soviet radio does not satisfy this curiosity. The official
Soviet broadcasts are too moiotonous,.`propagandistic and dull. The news given
about foreign events and foreign peole is too meagre, and after listening so
much to sonatas dedicated to the Five`YearPlan it is nice to hear foreign
music. -
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
I
50X1
During World War II all private radios were requisitioned by the government,
ostensibly for use by the Soviet Army, but they were stored in warehouses. The
move was to eliminate. listening to German propaganda. After the war some of
the people had their radios returned. I am sure that will happen again in the 50X1
4.
In the southern part of the USSR the localiy.produced sets are seen most often.
CLASSIFICATION - - SECRET
DISTRIBUTION
TATE EV
a-~ .:r
DATE DISTR./3 Jul 1954 50x1
NO. OF PAGES 2
NO. OF ENCLS. 50X1'
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/25 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000400550005-1
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/25 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000400550005-1
SECRET
-2-
However in the large ' cities all types of sets are sin, One very popular re?aiver
is the which costs about 900 rubles now and is made in the Voronezh
factory. This is a German factory which was moved to the USSR after World War II.
Other popular types were : the SA, the Neva, and the Len, all of which have
short wave, and which sell for between 850 and 900 rubles now. In the-provincial
cities cheaper radios are more popular. These are radios like the losk_ viteh and
the R_"ord? which sell for about 150 rubles. They are made in Minsk and in Baku.
The hal- 9 is a radio-phono combination which sells for about 900 rubles. It is
made in Sverdlovsk. In rural areas, such as on kolkhozes, there are very few radios.
Special battery radios such as the $and the xolkhoznik are made for rural areas.
50X1
a
it i
It is easiest to obtain radios in large cities and in the oblas
c
p
s
In rural arcs Only about 10% of the people would hear any foreign broadcasts. In
moderately large cities no less than 50% listen, and in large cities up to 70% hear
VOA and other Russian-language broadcasts.
50X1
50X1
50X1
lone could sometimes overcome jamming by slightly detuning 50X1
receiver either higher lower in frequency.
50X1
50X1
ZnInX that most people who own receivers have both. The w
pensive. monthly fees to the INKASSO office,
bills. Sometimes ese fees are paid to the post office or o the radio office.
The wired centers are connected with the Oblast Administration of the Ministry of
This is very complicated. It depends on the particular program and the timing.
Often the VOA programs have the opposite-effect from what is intended. The program
content is not always appropriate for Soviets. The practice of telling about US
prosperity is tactless unless related to our experiences. When Soviets listen to
programs telling about US luxuries it seems that the person who is speaking is
saying "see here we have everything, you have nothing; let me give you a quarter",
I believe, for instance, that the programs should be timed to coincide with what is
going on in the USSR, and related to that. As an example, when the Kremlin announces
a price cut in consumer goods the programs should be devoted to an analysis of what
this means, and some contrast with the US could be introduced inoffensively. Another
mistake, I believe, is the manner of broadcasts to the Ukraine. Russians as well as
Ukrainians listen to these broadcasts, and neither the Ukrainians nor the Russians
are pleased by the anti Russian feeling. The Ukrainian people are not anti-Russian
they are anti-Communist. I listened to both BBC and VOA music broadcasts, and liked
the BBC news better, but the VOA music programs were more popular. The radio programs
from Madrid and Rome into the USSR were easiest to listen to as they were not Jammed
so heavily, but the quality of these programs was very poor. The announcers used very
poor Russian.
50X1
50X1
50X1
50X1
Electrosignal receiver and a wired speaker.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/25 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000400550005-1