NATIONAL SECURITY DECISION DIRECTIVE ON U.S. INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84B00148R000200410012-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 15, 2007
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: July 16, 1982
• Content Type: MEMO

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SECRET ATTACHMENT
July 16, 1982
MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE
THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
System II
90447
THE
DIRECTOR,
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
THE
DIRECTOR
OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
THE
CHAIRMAN,
JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF
THE
DIRECTOR,
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION AGENCY
THE
CHAIRMAN,
BOARD FOR INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING
SUBJECT: National Security Decision Directive on
U.S. International Broadcasting
The President has signed the attached National Security
Decision Directive (NSDD-45) on U.S. International Broad-
casting.
FOR THE PRESIDENT:
William P. Clark
Attachment NSDD-45
cc: The Secretary of Commerce
Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
SECRET
NATIONAL SECURITY DECISION July 15, 1982
DIRECTIVE NUMBER 45
UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING
International broadcasting constitutes an important instru-
ment of the national. security policy of. the United States.
Improvement in the programming and technical quality of US
.international broadcasting is a requirement of the highest
priority. Allocation of budgetary and other resources
required to implement the improvements authorized by this
memorandum shall be accorded the same priority as in the
case of other programs deemed vital to the national security. (S)
The Voice of America (VOA) of the International Communication
Agency will remain the official broadcasting voice of the US
Government, receiving policy guidance- from. the Secretary of
State and the Director, ICA. VOA should take steps to strengthen
existing mechanisms for relating program content to current
US foreign and national security policy objectives, while ensuring
the integrity of news broadcasting and serving long-range US
broadcasting goals and interests in accordance with its legislative.
charter. Commentary and analysis should incorporate vigorous
advocacy of current-policy positions of the US Government. (S)
The Radio in the American Sector of Berlin (RIAS) will continue
to broadcast to East Germany under the supervision of the
Director, International Communication Agency. A review should
be undertaken to ensure that appropriate policy guidance is
available to RIAS. _ (C)
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL),?a?private corporation
funded by the Congress and subject to oversight by the Board
for International Broadcasting, will continue as an independent
organization operating as a surrogate free radio for the Soviet
Union and Eastern Europe. A new entity for broadcasting to Cuba,
Radio Marti, is currently being established and will function
in a manner analogous to RFE/RL. Both radios shall operate in
a manner not inconsistent with the broad objectives of US foreign
and national security policy. (S)
SECRET
Review on
July 15, 1988
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American Forces Radio and Television Services (AFRTS) will
continue to be responsible for providing English-language
broadcasting for US military forces abroad. As an official
US Government broadcasting service with a significant foreign
listenership, AFRTS should ensure that its programming is not
inconsistent with current US foreign and national security
policy objectives. (S)- -
Technical cooperation and joint planning between US international
broadcasters, including RFE/RL and Radio Marti, will be under-
taken on a regular basis as a matter of policy. At the same
time, care should be taken to maintain the autonomy and special.
character of the surrogate radios. -(S)
Guidance for determining languages and broadcast hours for VOA
and RFE/RL will continue to be the responsibility of the Secretary
of State and the Assistant to the:President for National Security
Affairs, acting in consultation with the Director, International
Communication Agency, and the Chairman of the Board for Inter-
national Broadcasting. The revised guidance prepared in conjunction
with this directive is approved. (S-)
VOA and RFE/RL will undertake a major, long-term program of
modernization and expansion over the period FY 84 to FY 89,
affecting program-related as well as technical aspects of their
operations. Funding for elements of this program that are
subject to rapid implementation will be sought in FY 83. The
technical criteria used for planning facility modernization shall
be those specified in NSSM 245, until such time as further
experience and research provide a better basis for measuring .
signal requirements. While short wave is and will remain for the
foreseeable future the primary medium of US international broad-
casting, medium-and long wave are preferable wherever technically
and politically feasible.. (S)
Diplomatic requirements deriving from this modernization and
expansion program shall be given high priority by the Department.
of State. Acquisition of new transmitting sites and facilities
should be a priority matter on the political agenda of bilateral
relations with appropriate countries. Attention should also be
given to renewal of facility agreements which'have lapsed, with
permission for augmentation as necessary, and to negotiation for
the use of out-of-band frequencies. Finally, planning for the
upcoming high frequency World Administrative Radio Conference
should be accelerated, and priority given to protecting and where
possible expanding the frequencies available to the US for inter-
national short wave broadcasting. (S)
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Particularly in view of the recent renewal of jamming of VOA
by the Soviet Union, it is essential that the US take all
possible steps to-overcome jamming of US international broad-
casts and to ameliorate its effects. Continuing interagency
study needs to be given to political as well as technical
aspects of jamming and possible countermeasures. A major,
coordinated effort should be undertaken to press the jamming
issue diplomatically in-all appropriate international and
bilateral fora. (S)
Direct broadcasting by satellite (DBS), while unlikely to
provide an alternative to ground-based international broadcasting
for the foreseeable future, nevertheless offers a potentially
important supplement to our existing broadcasting capabilities.
Further study.should be undertaken immediately of the technical
parameters of a variety of plausible DBS systems for international
broadcasting, with particular attention to the role of DBS in
a jammed environment. (S)
Study is also required on a priority basis of the role of US
international broadcasting facilities and operations in periods
of crisis and war. The Departments of State and Defense as well
as the International Communication Agency and the Board for
International Broadcasting should review existing guidance in
..this area and make recommendations for closer integration of
our international broadcasting effort into political and military
contingency planning. (S)
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