LETTER OF INFORMATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00586R000300210011-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 15, 2013
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: July 19, 1961
• Content Type: MEMO

ILLEGIB
Declassified M Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/08/15 :CIA-RDP83-00586R000300210011-6
SECRET
19 July 1961
MEMORANDUM FOR: Bureau Chiefs
FROM : Acting Chief, ESIS
SUBJECT : Letter of Information
GENERAL
1. Puerto Rican Survey
a. Preliminary evaluation of Puerto Rican reception indicates
results did not equal first impressions and additional surveys in the
Caribbean area will be required before any decision can be reached as
to the best site for a Latin American bureau. It is believed that the
southwest coastal area of Florida should also be tested.
b. Project Engineer, will return to Puerto
Rico during the peak season for electrostatic cloud discharge noise,
probably mid-August, to check reception and noise background at the
Signal Corps receiver site at Salinas. An accurate Field Intensity and
noise meter, ordered for the Okinawa Bureau, has been diverted from the
West Coast to headquarrrs to mar in evaluations of signal strength
and noise parameters.
2. Initial steps were taken to increase the staff, and the coverage
capabilities, of the Panama Post. The post chief was authorized to re-
cruit two local foreign national monitors (one Spanish, and one Spanish -
Portuguese), plus one or two additional teletypists. When these personnel
are on duty an additional editor will be assigned. This expansion is be-
lieved necessary regardless of whether it is decided to construct a new
Latin American bureau in Puerto Rico or elsewhere in the Caribbean area.
This would provide a substantial increase in Latin American coverage
quickly and at very low cost.
3. Round-the-clock coverage of the Kuwait Radio was provided at
the Mediterranean Bureau in connection with the Iraqi threat to take over
the shaykhdam.
4. African Bureau
a. Training of the African Bureau's two initial monitors con-
tinued. The third monthly production report indicated a daily average of
550 words of publishable material filed, compared with 200 words in May.
It is planned to send a senior monitor to Kaduna in early fall to assist
with monitor training until the Bureau's second editor arrives.
b. The station construction contract was signed on 10 June 1961.
Heretofore, construction has been proceeding by a Letter of Intent.
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SUEJECT: Letter of Information
c. Construstion of statism facilities is progressing intim-
fectorily. Foundations for the building are complete, amdverk on the
co:wrote block lolls is 30 percent complete.
A. The antenna contract its signed on akar.
e. Construction of housing to be leased is moving along mildly.
Al). block work is coolate on two houses the roof framing is almost con-
plate on one and roof framing has startid en the second. Foundation
work is caspiete on the third and encovation vett on the fourth has
started.
5. Recod-thmorlock coverage of Cubsa radio sod TV statioms as
arranged at the East aniiisst Cost Bureaus sad at the Key Vest Pest in
connection with the prisenow-foretraoters ultimatum, which expired at
1300 EST on Friday, 23 Jim.
6. A report compiled by the Liaises and Requirements Staff on the
annual consumer survey as issued. on 22 Arne. The report Slates a
statisticalbreakdownby individol pOlicatiom of consumer evaluation
and utilisation response., as yell as a representative seals of consumer
comments and suggestions regarding JIM services and pen...otiose. The
survey indicates that PRISToontinues generally to enjoy, en excellent repu-
tation among abroad variety of1J.S. Government consumers. Constructive
criticisms and suggestions for ?improvemorb of PIUS products are currently
under consideration by the various brunches and notions concerned for
possible responsive action.. On the basis of the survey, Liaison sad less
quixements Staff neden aulber of adjustments in? distribution:Ma Should
inpron service to recipiemts.
T. 02 259 its.. ? included in the Current Tstelligens? Digest darlag
June, 69 (26.6 percent) were based vholly or in part ea IBIS monitwriag.
8. Luring the month 88 percent of Daily Report pops wire devoted
to broadcast material and 12 percent to press scrutiny.
PROPAGAIDA ANALYSIS COOMMET
1. Radio Propaganda Reports issued:
a. "Bulgarian Purge of Party and State Functionaries"
b. "Soviet War Eistory Extolled on 20th Ameiversary of
Nazi Invasion"
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SUBJECT: Letter of Information
2. An analysis of Khrushchev's offer to negotiate partial dis-
armament measures, made in his 8 July speech, was disseminated on
the FBIS vire.
3. RPB Special Services
a. A Special Memorandum for the Director summed up Moscow
radio and press treatment of Walter Lippmann's 15 June
television interview.
b. Daily analyses of Moscow propaganda on disarmament were
prepared at State Department request for the U.S. negotiator
at the U.S. - USSR bilateral talks on disarmament in Washington,
19 - 30 June, and in Moscow, beginning 17 July. Copies were
sent to the Intelligence Support Staff, DD/I.
e. Daily classified analyses of Moscow, Peking, Hanoi, and
dissident Laotian propaganda were forwarded through OCI to the
U.S. delegation at the Geneva conference on Laos.
f. The service to the U.S. delegation at the Geneva nuclear
test ban talks was suspended on 19 June with the withdrawl of
the Agency representative on the delegation.
4. The following are among Radio Propaganda Reports and special
studies projected or under consideration for publication within the
next few months:
a. "Soviet Outer-Space Projects and Programming"
b. "Soviet Provincial Press Treatment of Centrally Distributed
Articles"
c. "Problems Encountered in the Administration of CPR Communes"
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UNCLASSIFIED \of
SUBJECT: Letter of Information
EDITOFtIAL BRANCH COMMENT
GENERAL
1. On 16 aim, FBIS received an urgent request from high-level
consumers for advance copies of the text of KhrushChev's 15 June tele-
vised speech on the Vienna meeting with President Kennedy. Mimeographed
copies were run off and given pm-weekend distribution with the Pink
Sheet.
? 2. Service messages designed to alert headquarters on upcoming
urgent material Should be sent by precedence higher than Routine (RR).
In recent weeks same advisory messages of this nature arrived in Wash-
ington later than the items they were meant to precede. Corrections to
items should also be filed by precedence high enough to insure their
timely receipt.
3. An FYI calculated to arouse continuing interest in abnormal be-
havior of a transmitter, in an anticipated development *high may or may
not occur, or in other unusual but possibly transitory aspects of coverage
should be followed up by appropriate messages, even of-a negative nature,
ten the possibility exists that an isolated FYI may cause persisting
suspense or uncertainty. When an FYI gives corrections and variations
fram a later broadcast of the same item, editors should specify 'hat is
incorrect and (what is at variance in each case.
? 4. 'Listings of names of those present at communist bloc functions
should contain the first name or initials to differentiate between leaders
having the same last name.
5. So that logographs in Briefs can be reconstructed for vire use or
for display presentation in the Daily Report, ten circumstances warrant,
bureaus are now instructed to include all elements but to omit prepositions,
unnecessary articles, and the word "service." Headquarters editors, how-
ever, may delete elements ten items are published in the Daily Report.
6. Articles and other long items which are broadcast or electrically
transmitted in installments, often on successive days, are not to be filed
under a single logograph even when all installments are available at the
time of filing. Each installment must be handled as a separate broadcast
or,tramsmission.
7. The various bureaus concerned are commended for their excellent
wort in connection with the Mongolian Anniversary celebrations, the
Turkish constitutional referendum, and the TABS Cyrillic text of Khrush-
chrv's 15 June speech.
-ha
UNCLASSIFIED
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UNCLASSIFIED
SUBJECT: latter of Information
African Bureau
Items made available to headquarters by the new bureau's interim and
training operations show judicious editorial selection and earnest moni-
torial endeavor in the processing of Swahili, Rause, French, and English.
Virtually all material is published, the only exception being occasional
items which duplicate material received earlier from other sources.
London Bureau
English terms in press agency copy which do not conform to standard-
ized 'BIS terminology for the communist bloc (e.g. crowns instead of
korunas in CTK and provinces instead of voivodships in PAP) should be
Changed on filed copy. A distinction should be made in East German copy
When the word "axes" is a generic term or when Bezirk should be used as
the specific term for the place.
West Coast Bureau
Low-level economic material, such as that included in the 3 July
report on Kamchatka industrial successes, normally is best handled as a
series of economic Abstracts.
ENGIREERI/G AND FIELD OPERATIONS
1. During the pest month more international broadcasts were added
to FBIS coverage. Among these were the new Ghana international service
beamed to West Africa and five hours of Spanish added to the Radio Havana
transmissions to the Americas. A new anti4rujillo regime clandestine
radio station, "LA VOZ DE LA L1BERTAD," was heard for approximately two
weeks but left the air on 11 July. One interesting development was the
suspension by the Chinese Home Service of Moscow-originated broadcasts
on the First Program starting 1 July. No explanation for the cessation
of these broadcasts was given by Peking.
2. In an effort to help the BIS supply more up-to-date information
on African radio stations, the USIA has asked its African posts to supply
regularly station schedules from newspapers, periodicals, mw1 from the
stations directly. The BIS in this way will be able to develop more
information necessary to an increase in the FBIS coverage of the newly
independent African nations.
3. The Pioneer Electric & Research Corp. long and medium wave inter-
ference suppressor was returned from Okinawa. Extensive tests confirm its
excellence in eliminating interference. Recommendations have been made
for certain improvements and after a satisfactory price has been reached
procurement will be placed on contract.
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UNCLASSIFIED
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UNCLASSIFIED
SUBJECT: Letter of Information
4. A Communications Electronic Incorporated VHF, 30 to 300 mega-
cycle prototype receiver, was received. It has been sent to the East
Coast Bureau for test and evaluation. Recommended improvements, if not
extensive, will be included in the contract for 20 units at no increase
in price. The receiver can receive AN, FM, CW, and the audio portion
of TV video broadcasts. It will be used for cruising and general coverage.
Those bureaus with reception capabilities in the VHF frequency range will
be equipped with this new receiver.
ADMINISTRATION
1. Transfer allowances may be paid without reference to headquarters
in the same manner as other allowances.
2. The following FBIS regulatory issuances were released during the
month of June:
PERSONNEL NOTES
1. New Employees
Assignment
STAT
Teletypist STAT
East Coast Bureau
Monitor
West Coast Bureau
Intel. Analyst
RPB
2.
Reassignments From
To
Watch Officer
Watch Officer
STAT
Mediterranean Bureau
East Coast Bureau
Watch Officer
Watch Officer
West Coast Bureau
Mediterranean Bureau
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UNCLASSIFIED
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STAT