LETTER (SANITIZED)MARK S. FOWLER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85-00024R000300030007-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 17
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 26, 2007
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: November 2, 1981
• Content Type: LETTER

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STAT
from on Alaska as a broadcasting/monitor
ing site for the U.S Govt. It is the consensus of
STAT FCS that while is not all wet, he has
tended to overrate the potential of Alaska, at
least as far as the kind of monitoring we do with
most of our stations below the 45th parallel in
the Far East/Siberia areas. In the draft response
I have stressed our need for more centrally-located
sites rather than address the specific points made
STAT by
REMARKS LL
Attached isproposed draft letter to Senator
Stevens re his request for consideration of the ideas
DO NOT use this form as a RECORD of approvals, concurrences, disposals,
clearances, and similar actions
OPTIONAL FORM 41 (Rev. 7-76)
Prescribed by GSA
U S GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1979 281 1.1 FPMR (41 CFR) 101-11.206
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Date (~
19 Nov 81
T0: (Name, office symbol, room number,
building, Agency/Post)
1. C/ops
Initials
Date
Date
2.
C/LRB
3.
DD/FBIS
4.
D/FBIS
~`r
jJI.C`
ction
File
Note and Return
pproval
For Clearance
Per Conversation
As Requested
For Correction
Prepare Reply
irculate
For Your Information
See Me
omment
Investigate
Signature
Coordination
Justify
IV
C/FCS
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Date
:,,ROTTING AND TRANSMITTa$UP 27 Nov. 1981
T0:
(Name, office symbol, room number,
building, Agency/Post)
F
Initials
Date
Z,
ES/DCI
STAT
3.
Room 7E12 Hqs.
4.
Kam' /~.
/(J-
I
ion
File
Note and Return
roval
For Clearance
Per Conversation
s Requested
For Correction
Prepare Reply
irculate
For Your Information
See Me
mment
Investigate
Signature
Coordination
Justl
f 4.7
I
Cat cJti~' r1.~~ (-7 c`I~ yC c(ry)
STAT
DO NOT use this form as a RECORD of approvals, concurrences, disposals,
clearances, and similar actions
FROM: (Name, org. symbol, Agency/Post)
STAT
D/FBIS
yj U. S.GPO:1975-0-261-647 3354
OPTIONAL FORM 41 (Rev. 7-76)
Prescribed by GSA
FPMR (41 CFR) 101-11.206
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EXECUTI SE RETARIAT
Routing Slip
ACTION
INFO
DATE
INITIAL
1
DCI
X
2
DDC
X
3
D/ICS
4
DD/NFA
5
DD/A
6
DD/0
7
DD/S&T
X
8
Chm/NIC
9
GC
10
IG
11
Compt
12
D/EEO
13
D/Pers
14
D/OPP
15
C/EAS/OPP
-
6
C/IAS/OPP
17
A0/DCI
18
C E S P
X
19
L
22
Remarks.
Please prepare acknowledgment to SecDef
for DCI''s signature and response to Stevens
also for DCT's signature. Forward through
C/EAS/OPP.
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I*
0
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20554
OFFICE OF
THE CHAIRMAN
Director
Foreign Broadcast Information
Service
P. 0. Box 2604
Washington, D. C. 20013
I am enclosing a query from
written to Senator Ted Stevens raising several interesting ideas based on his
own experiences and observations of the potential of Alaska to serve the
national interest.
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
Unfortunately, the Federal Communi ions commission is not involved in
the activities indicated in letter, namely, foreign broadcast STAT
and electronic intelligence collection. Accordingly, I am forwarding this
query to your agency for review, as it appears that some of the activities may
fall within the purview of the Foreign Broadcast Information Service. A
response directly to Senator Stevens would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
With best wishes,
Mark S. Fowler
Chairman
November 2, 1981
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ys;?.
' JCurfea Zfafez Zemafe
OFFICE OF
THE ASSISTANT MAJORITY LEADER
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20510
November 13, 1981
Washington, D.C. 20013
Foreign Broadcast Information
P.O. Box 2604
Director
Dear John:
We have been advised by Chairman Fowler that he has
forwarded a letter to your office from one of my constituents
in regard to foreign broadcast and electronic intelligence.
Enclosed is a copy of the FCC letter, as well as in-
formation that should be of interest to you in reference to
correspondence of September 9.
Thank you for your consideration of this matter.
With best wishes,
TED STEVENS
Assistant Majority Leader
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STAT
STAT
'I
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? S.
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20554
OFFICE OF
THE CHAIRMAN
Honorable Ted Stevens
Assistant Majority Leader
United States Senate
127 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D. C. 20510
raises sever interesting ideas. Unfortunately, the Federal
Ccrrnunications Conlission is not involved in the activities suggested by
Mr. Hiebert; that is, foreign broadcast and electronic intelligence
collection, althouan during WDrld War II the Federal Communications Ccnnission
was involved to a limited extent in this area.
STAT
STAT
However, in order to pursued lideas rmre fully, we are STAT
forwarding his letter to the aencies with specific responsibilities in the
area that raises: 'the Foreign Broadcast Information Service and STAT
the U. S. International Communication Agency. We are requestin that these
agencies expeditiously respond directly to you concerning query. STAT
I certainly understand your interest in the potential of Alaska in
contributim further to the national interest, and I hope that our forwarding
observations to the appropriate agencies advances these goals.
With best wishes,
Sincerely,.-,
Mark S. Fowler'
Chairman
STAT
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20554
OFFICE OF
THE CHAIRMAN
November 2, 1981
Director
Foreign Broadcast Information
Service
P. 0. Box 2604
Washington, D. C. 20013
I am enclosing a query from
has
written to Senator Ted Stevens raising several interesting ideas based on his
own experiences and observations of the potential of Alaska to serve the
national interest.
Unfortunately, the Federal Communica ions Commission is not involved in
the activities indicated in letter, namely, foreign broadcast
and electronic intelligence collection. Accordingly, I am forwarding this
query to your agency for review, as it appears that some of the activities may
fall within the purview of the Foreign Broadcast Information Service. A
response directly to Senator Stevens would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
With best wishes,
` !I
Mark S. Fowler
Chairman
Enclosure
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'J CuUf eb , f of es Zonate
OFFICE OF
THE ASSISTANT MAJORITY LEADER"
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20510
September 24, 1981
Mark S. Fowler, Chairman
Federal Communications Commission
1919 "M" Street
Washington, D.C. 20554
Alaska. I have known) Ifor many years. He is a
man in possession of great insight, especially in the area
of communication.
Augie has expressed an interest in employing Alaska's
unique geography for purposes of electronic intelligence and
national interest transmissions. This correspondence ex-
presses his interest in pursuing the merits for both of
these projects.
I would greatly appreciate your analysis of these
ideas. I, and others in Congress, are interested in the
potential of Alaska to contribute further for the national
interests. We hope to be able to work with you to implement
some of observations in the near future.
I greatly appreciate your attention to this important
matter.
With best wishes,
SXEVENS
Assistant Majority Leader
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
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Anchorage, Alaska
September 9, 1981
Senator Ted Stevens
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Re: (1) Potential of Alaska as a base for short-wave
transmissions to Iron Curtain countries.
(2) Alaska as an inte31cence listening post.
When I visited with you at breakfast last May I touched on
the above subjects briefly and you asked that I present my
thoughts in writing.
During my first four years of radio engineering in Fairbanks
(1939-1943) it was necessary to acquire news by
copying Transradio Press. It came in via short-wave at 45 to
55 words per minute on various short-wave frequencies and
throughout the day from several sources. The majority of
these transmissions were from New York, a few from San Fran-
cisco and very few from Hawaii. The phenomena of short-wave
fadeout conditions, wherein signals would simply disappear,
sometimes almost instantaneously, sometimes after a fading
process, was little known in those days. Now we know fade-
outs are caused by violent solar eruptions, causing magnetic
disturbances which are accentuated in Polar regions.
What I noticed while copying press was that short-wave sig-
nals (and standard broadcast band reception for that matter)
would fade out first and most dramatically when the source
was from an East-West path, and would be usable the longest
(and may not disappear completely) when transmissions were
from South to North location. Conversely North to South
transmissions were always more reliable and effective than
West to East during my Amateur Radio days in Fairbanks, and
this phenomena was also noted during World War II when my
short-wave transmitter, licensed experimentally
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
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0 ?
Senator Ted Stevens
Page 2 1981
September 9,
secret weather information, decoded from Soviet
transmitted
transmissions, to the South 48 for use by the Pentagon for
clanning strategic bom of the Kuriles. This was part.of
was also located.
From those early days experiences and studying the'peculiar-
ities of both short-wave and standard broadcast band propa-
gation, I reached the conclusion that while Arctic Alaska,
situated. in the Polar Maaneti-c
were fadeouts and complete
n to a useful advantage.
ed
ll be tur
phenomena might we
s
1960'
l
,
y
and ear
In the late 1950's
dinated with Federal Agencies
d
nd coor
of Radio Free Europe a group r in raising funds. In 1959 I joined a and their
transmitter s
d on Iro
lo
ming problem the Soviet Union impose
nrrericafortruth-
citizenry, who depended on RFE and Voice of
a
ful information. It was then
shortlwaveatra~smissions toaIron
as the potential platform for
Curtain target countries.
The problem with transe1ttsY~ortrdistanbenin~olvednd Thislren
Curtain is the relatively transmissions which can be jammed
quires fairly low frequency
quite effectively over widespread local areas.
Transmitting from Alaska, on higher short-wave frequencies
would create more of a jamming problem, because local jam-
ming devices on higher sho-rt-wave frequencies cover a fairly
short radius, and the economics of building and operatinghlle
local jammers would be staggering. W
large quantities of eriods of time, during fadeout
it is true that there would be p from the Arctic,
conditions, when no signals would propagate still when propagation was superb, Alaskan transmissions would penetrate Wouldn't it be better to have
more effectively. reach the target Iron Curtas.n
highly influential programming rcountries most of the time than to be jammed virtually all
the time?
STFSTAT
STAT
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? ?
Senator Ted Stevens
Page 3
September 9, 1981
The reason I have not brought this matter to your attention
is concern over the economics of duplicating in Alaska what
I saw'at RFE in Munich. Until the advent of high quality.
program line service via Satellite, it did not seem feasible
to have a redundant Headquarters programming operation in
Alaska to feed procra-,ming to the transmitters. However,
with sophisticated satellite communications now available on
a world-wide basis, programming sources could come from any-
where in the world, and so could telemetry to switch trans-
mitter frequency, switch antennas and perform other necessary
command and control functions. The only Alaskan investment
would be the necessary antenna farm, transmission equipment,
and engineering staff on location to maintain it.
During recent months I have devoloped additional views on
utilizing Alaska as a site for important U.S. Government ac-
tivities. It has been my experience that during periods of
good standard broadcast band propagation,' early in the morn-
ning (expecially during fall, winter and spring months when
sundown conditions exist to the West, all kinds of foreign
language signals can be heard, even on small transistor radios
in the home. They appear to be oriental in nature. A similar
condition was noted in Nome during earlier years,_because the
Jesuit Fathers became disturbed that Alaskan Eskimo people
could pick up Siberian broadcasts in English and there was
little of any local broadcast programming to offset Soviet
propaganda. This caused to acquire funds STAT
for a Nome radio station in 1965, at which time I helped him
choose equipment and apply for a 10,000 watt Construction Per-
mit which later STAT
Actually, your acquisition of Congressional funding for the
Federal Communications Commission to begin Arctic Propagation
studies in the Standard Broadcast Band has led me to a new,
concept. When I discussed Arctic propagation with FCC Engi-
neering staff members, I noted that they had a more than cas-
ual interest in what might also be heard from the West. The
Arctic sky-wave studies you funded were primarily designed
to monitor South 48 Clear Channel stations for engineering
data to create new Class 1-A sky-wave curves which would
correct and replace the ancient 1934 FCC Engineering curves
prepared for latitudes below the Canadian border. Subsent-
ly, at the time the contract with the University of Alaska/
Geophysical Institute was being negotiated with the FCC, I
asked Dr. Bob Hunsucker if he could provide the FCC with a
"bonus" by orienting an antenna toward the West, and spend a
little time monitoring what could be received from that direc-
tion. He agreed. He also reminded me that the Geophysical.
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Senator Ted Stevens
Page 4
September 9, 1981
Institute has been studying Arctic propagation, eruptions
from the sun and other Polar phenomena for years, and has
a wealth of material either in computers or stored in boxes
from early studies before computers were available.
When I was in Washington last May, I learned from Engineering
friends who are in a position to know, that the United States
Government has found that monitoring foreign country standard
broadcast band transmissions, which are designed for local
listeners, affords important intelligence information because
these "home" reports are related to existing realities, rather
than propaganda released for foreigh consumption. I under-
stand that U.S.A. monitoring of Iranian home-broadcasts during
the hostage crisis was especially revealing.
.Therefore it would seem to me that a site in Alaska might also
be considered for the location of a listening post for stan-
dard broadcast band transmissions from Siberia, North Korea,
China, and the Soviet Union for that matter. Inspecting a
g obe, you note t at rom Alaska, many of these countries
are South, or almost on a North-South axis, which affords op-
timum transmission conditions except for extreme fadeout
conditions.
I feel confident that there is engineering merit for both of
the above projects and to prove it there might well be an
additional study called for by the University of Alaska/Geo-
physical Institute. In addition to the quantity of related
data in their own computers, they have access to a great deal
of additional information contained in computers of the Stan-
for Research Institute. I'm confident the Geophysical Insti-
tute has the world's best supply of data vital to these topics.
One of the reasons I have been active during recent months
supporting retention of the FCC Field Monitoring Station in
Anchorage is because the functions of their operations might
well be integrated into the Alaskan intelligence gathering
potential referred to above.
Senator Ted, I believe there is much food for thought which
might be of interest to the State Department, the DOD and the
FCC - perhaps to other Government Foreign Service - contained
in these observations.
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Senator Ted Stevens
Page 5
September 9, 1981
Enclosed are copies of clippings accumulated during the
.past few years relating to the above, as well as other
suppozting information. If you would be interested in
discussing this further while I am in Washington from
September 25th to 34th I would be happy to do so.
Cordially,
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 Approved For Release 2007/09/26: CIA-RDP85-00024R000300030007-2 rte' 6N?'; f
M
-
? i w Broadcasting ?
~d financial ?
1981
il 13
~Y1s or RFE/RL
Reagan budget proposals give
funding increase to both services
Reagancmics may be-bitter medicine for
most government programs outside
defer se, but not for U.S. propaganda and
information efforts aimed at countering
Soviet influence and spreading -word of the
U.S. around the world. Radio Liberty and
t
Radio Free Europe 6sonid recuiv s about
S8? million more in operating
the _:liar. h;;d~,ets over ,he next two
n ,.,,;e a
.ears than they would Lnder thoos pro-
T' ;d>?lt Carter. And
e
Apr
,
= ternational Communications Reorgani;
Bill to establish tion Act will be the subject of hearings
the Government Operations Subcomrr.
U.S. policy council tee on Government. Information and
dividual Rights on March 31 and April
for international Although the bill's primary purpose. is
C o i i M u n i c a ti o n s solve problems for common carrier a
equipment companies trading intr
nationally, it is meant also to zddress "r
ready for hearing erosion around the world of the basic de
The United States' leadership role in sup- ocratic principle of the free no of i- f
plying technology for international com- mation."
munications and inform ion now is A growing number of countries, a-co
threatened by certain other countries' ing to the committee's report, are erect.
policies limiting trade and freedom of in- barriers against trade in common car:
formation. The U.S. government is technology and free information exchar
unprepared to negotiate agreements with with the United States and other co
these countries, because its communica- tries, for reasons both economic and p?:
tions policymaking is too compartmen- ical. "Whether or not the United Ste.
talized to recognize and respond to the agrees" says the report, "the other
problem effectively. (ions of the world-particularly our ti
These are the findings of a report to the ing partners in Canada, Japan
House Committee on Government Opera- Europe-are in the midst of developing
tions completed late last year, entitled "In- have developed, comprehensive plans
ternational Information Flow: Forging a policies which deal with the full range
New Framework" The report is the basis information flow questions in an integ
for a bill to create an executive council to ed manner."
coordinate U.S. policy for international To allow the U.S. to develop its
trade in communications technology and policy, the bill (H.R. 1957) would crea!
the flow of information, primarily through executive-level Council on Internatic
common carriers. Communications and Informati
Introduced in mid-February by Repre- Headed by an executive secretary
sentative Glenn English (D-Okla.) the In- pointed by the President, the col
would have as its members the secret
of state and commerce, the chairmE
the FCC, the United States trade r
sentative, the director of the Of"c
Management and Budget, and the
tant to the President for National Sec
Affairs.
According to the bill, the council
"coordinate the policies and activiti
all federal agencies involving internal
communications and information,"
shall "review all policy determinati-
federal agencies, and all proposed
ments of United States policy by
agencies, relating to international
munications and information, and
prove, disapprove or modify any
policy determination or proposed
ment."
3
more for 1982 than the 594,
Carter had requested. The reduction from for 1981 proposed about S101.5 million
1981 is more apparent than real, since S3 for the Voice. But the Reagan administra-
million of the 1981 funds is to meet cur- tion would include S1.2 million to keep
rency devaluation needs, and would be open VOA is h shortwave Soufacilithty ineBethand
carried major news
The maj or news in the budget for. Africa. The funds would be transferred
VOA-whose mission is to disseminate from an account that was to finance an in-
news of the U.S. worldwide-is the S8l crease in personnel to do additional
million being sought in 1982 to build relay foreign language broadcasts. However, the
stations in Sri Lanka and Botswana to Voice still plans to add the 64 3/4 hours of
transmit programing to South Asia and- new programing weekly, to a total of 929
Africa. All told, the Reagan administra- hours and 15 minutes by the end of 1981.
tion is seeking $187,616,000 for the VOA The Voice will add its 40th language in
next year, about S1.2 million less than April, to wthe hen Sit begins bb r caocaAzegb in
Carter had proposed.
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}~es,:d lay .ur,,,er r
. -- ? Carter's
Reagan plans essen,ially to ee
proposals for the Voice of America, which
involve an S81-million. increase in fiscal
year 1982.
The Reagan proposals reflect adminis-
tration determination to carry out
P.eagan's campaign pledge to tell the world
of the superiority of the American system
over Communism. And administration of-
ficials see the relatively small increases in
the two broadcast services as an inexpen-
sive way of engaging in that kind of debate
worldwide.
Radio Liberty, which broadcasts news of
the Soviet Union into that country, and
Radio Free Europe, which offers domestic
news to listeners in other Soviet bloc
countries, are to be given the principal role
in the ideological battle. National Security
Council staff members, bacKed by ;v SC
chief Richard Allen, are said to have taken
the lead in proposing the increase for the
two services, which are funded through
the Board for International Broadcasting.
The Reagan administration is seeking a
5600,000 supplemental appropriation for
RL/RFE in 1981, for a new total of
S100,300,000, as well as authority to
divert to operational uses S2,400,000 now
earmarked for relocating RL/RFE person-
nel back to the U.S. The Reagan adminis
tration no longer plans those relocations.
Much of the 53 million total would be
used to replace facilities lost in the bomb
blast that wrecked the RL/RFE head-
quarters in Munich last month, as well as
to initiate a new service aimed at Soviet
central Asia.
The administration is seeking S4 million
17 000
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te1llnr f %rd
G n Ch i se i_teners itself t`se'y::tic-r'S-c it}' Cenic.l,j
f
r
Th Vi of quests cae
s
oa --eoce>: Ar..er ica escp-d the wrath of Mr. asking for rest: -1s to help them ? affected em ?ssies, and fizatlly. Con-
;ty-eyed, ecst-cutting study' English. - gress.
c ce-.ad s ~ .:d=; s. It dc~.er??es to. The tax- w'l:en the A^?,-,can businessman ., "We look at broadcasting as a?
'liliam Neil'ious was kidnapped and long- range, strategic activity," ex-
pa}'er gets h s rsorey's'v orth from
VOA. ' 1_r :Pr, this n tic rat radio held captive for three years in Vene- plains Cuff Groce, VOA's program
v'cice of t} :e t ^?t:d Scat S t ?_s on zuela, hi= c-a Ors ai:o ed him to join director. "We can't always get an-,.-s.
new as the Rez;an ad- them in 'i ling to VOA, "'My only - nouncers quickly when we add an-.1
ni-_s?-zt cn -,p' _r--u is r_-non- real ccn:ect with c-e outside world." esoteric language broadcast. We
Nan,,zliY, Communist regimes "were' ortunate in getting some
Fir-am" `'Oh c b.adcpsts, usually cut- si speaar.g radio, people because'
A nation should epee ale from its ling their penetration by around 30 they left Iran quickly in rather laity
siren hs and one great American percent. The Chinese Communists circumstances. It's not so easy get-
` 5'8 . The tir_g someo ne Mho speaks Azert,":;
^vr "J-.:tlJ+?inQ?r in late 1
'T'''l :5 C{,n]r?;,.,lCZti:i:7S. StGYrC?V alj
SiIc:r!~ .ne ar as ?'? , from
_ : - : ' ? ?: r .~.r --. _.. . 13 years, the Voice of Soviets sz_er ra- a.:,-::;,g'
1ly t ` THOUGH NEW is VOA's main l
Am rca has 1xe--rne-d br adcasts to 1973 imtl last ALgss when the rum= busit'cs, music gets the most ::rail,
all *s of t he world- It is warmly pus in Poland :z :...
w, co eo; especially 3ypee;to rsv- VOA tech-iicia s noted that Cuba ::; and p s such as the Ere i `ast;
favorites. ?A:r
ing tJtatit2rian t^'2C45 ' cut its "jamming" when L'se news , Show,. are FOry.12r' . n '.
VOA do-es first-rate work'.: .. broke on the shooting of Pres.dent ;''Press Conference U.S A. progrram
's Reagan. Tr e . a s1 s. urn'_ -;an was that employs the "Meet the Press"for
Its r.'-,A .as's in I?n.g .=.ges are. , _*son~
h: cff: ing pe1
straight and sur_ C2~~'G u1 s tCr tats ~+rt d LO mat, with a reC= ,akd
dossed a g ofteL: ,, ~.a wa l interviewed by American and
s.,ed accuracy. Its p a learn 2': e-y detail, an . ? i VOA s bet
grar,-~ ills ten>s the word ' i'.at kind the rn. s' relirbe new s se i' ce. forei JC4r:lalis's.
of people we'are, how Ae live, what Ind the America which
we are doing, and presents the music. CUBA ANA ALL Latin nations _:? comes opt of VOA is a lively, open,._.
we sing, hurl and play. It tells the' receive five and a half hours of VOA joyful society, earnest and some-
world about our schools, movies, ar-;_ broadcasts daily from a transmitter'. times too honest. No wonder millions`
t s s rnez`icz! s`iemis's and M'orl~ rg located at afar tl%on, in the Florida want to mite to the United States;
Keys, ::. cnly a few stragglers wart to
te~L e.
1__ 1_-._.~`Lw ~.:.,a.~ ti......~..>e>?,~. < ., ca~i .7etse-,He rushes fora leave:
4. _ r.u~?J lLJ ...+ .
i*- :` ??? , nd co ' 'ta-: special Radio Free Cube hror3d-g The'. 19 operating budget fore
forcuv Yab S ,,
tors are saying, including their critf-:. cast by VOA. Agency officials tiote:4 Y. is 5107 adIilaii, less than one-
cisms of the U.S: govenrr nt anti however, that`si:h a project out= fourthtYie cost of refitting an old bai_
ot.r- x-ity.- ' . side the VOA charter, and besides, tieship -. ,
VOA is honest radio. It also ful- news and information targeted for' Splendid as battleships. look as ?'_;
fills its resporsicility to "present the Cuba alone would not have the cre8t they steam toward the sunset, those'-`
policies of the U.S. clearly and effec- bility of the current Spanish Ian- 891 hours of VOA broadcasts each
tivv1y" through commentaries and . guage broadcasts going to all of week are a far better bargain,
discussions of U.S. official.policy. Latin America. -The point is' well
Again, it's done straight and without made.
the s.ant or invective characterizing Credibility and 'sersitivity to the
the rational radio systems of dicta- - circumstances of listeners are the '
torsr:ips. name of the game at VOA. For ex-
arnple, 10,nrner language broadcasts
A CUE N NOW living in Europe don't open with the familiar Yankee
recently wrote VOA, de:ailing his 15- Doodle music because that might.
.
year struggle to get out, ad telling give signals that the listening Cam-
:
bow, in Cuba, "The Voice of Amer- bodians are tuned to the forbidden:
t ica was the most reliable source of VOA.,
L-ifciz:,ztion on the U.S., the. world, The VOA recently'&dded Dar. Ian- Sattit-day, April 11, 2 ;
and Cuba" itself." guage broadcasts because that lan-
He said, .'All dissidents, and guage is popular in Afglanistan~ .
that's 90 percent of the Cubans; en-. Farsi ian$~?ge broadcasts were`t
joyed VOA broadcasts as "an escape stepped r in that Soviet-occupied .
for a few hours from the filthy, insuf- 4
nation last year. As soon as Azerl- e Times -
ferabie Communist propaganda 'ot speaking announcers can be hired, The Aprhorag
G strd's state-owned and controlled broadcasts in that language will be ?
mass media..' beamed into Azerbaidzhan, a Soviet:
ceives annually from gratenu usieu- ' gouge broadcasts were expanded to,
. Cambodian refugees in Thailand
listened to VOA to learn of the fight- The process of deciding to in-
ing between the Khmer Rouge and crease, expand or cut broadcasts is a. :
the Vietnamese. About 23,000- re-., slow one involving the State Depart-,:,,
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T;3E W 1A 11LNG?1 t)~N PUSI Tue duy, Jan. .4, 191-8
L .S. Radio May -- r Cc ;i;:: rflist Replies
to ?-.:::e -:~6s t`ie sat ns," Shub said. '-Poland joins
The United States hopes it can end some broadcasts. Hungary and Ro-
the jamniiiig of Radio Free Europe mania do not interfere at all:'
and Radio Liberty by offering free
time for responses by Communist of- When American delegates at the
ficials, a nose-rn,ent o zl std yes. Bel;_ ade Corfc .,ce on the F.elsjr-
Accords have protested that the jarn
ter ay. t the The free time proposal was outlined mina violates thtreaty's can .or::
in the annual report,, of the Board' free flowing info. -lstion, the Soy iets
for International Broadcasting, the have_ responde-3 that they ja_m because;;
government a`=ency controlling- the - the stations transmit "defamatriry"
two U.S.=owued stations which broad propacan_da and serve as fronts fore
cast to all of the Warsaw Pact aa- the Central lnt.L'?i?..^,ce Agency."i
lions except F%si Germany. - - The CIA funded hot;, stations n
' We are prepared seriously to con 1S7L
sider procedures for making time Shub said the free time proposal
a ailable fur responses to those spe- was meant as a "civilised nnlternative
cific complaints [about programming to jamming." He said it would prob
or commentaries) which have merit,", ably apply to-beth news stories and
the statement said. editorial comment if accepted by the.'
A board official, Tony Shub, said it Eastern European nations..
would. be up to the board to deter-. Shub said there h--.s been no re-
mine ;which complaints have merit. sponse as' yet by the Cerrmunist
{ - '''yi1'1e Dotfet Unison,. . ..? _..: _ hea d
2D a'~ ti rl u")CS,~uJLC uiu t~r. aa~u vi iaac{
t-t5::ib':u in C3
c;zec:^.osirOcakia ii; 1-o wulpieEeiy. ~prvpcsai yc3~ ..n.Y 1LVl l1W(,.:'[?..'; :-..Jy
BBC, -RFE/RL try -
to counter s1hortwave-
jamming by Soviets
In an attempt to overcome jamming of
broadcasts by the Soviet Union, the BBC is
increasing its Russian-language broad-
casts, creating a Five-hour block of pro-
grams each day.
The BBC Russian service has been jam-
med since last August, along with other
Western services. The English-language
world service is left alone, however. The
BBC also announced that a new service
would begin for Afghanistan in the Pushto
language.
Jamming by the Soviet Union and other
Eastern bloc countries continues to pose
problems for the American services,
Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty as
well.
In its annual report to Congress, RFE/
RL said that while the BBC and the Voice
of America were free from jamming from
1973 to 1980, Radio Liberty (which broad-
casts to the Soviet Union) has been jam-
med continuously since 1953, while Radio
F!ee Europe is jammed continuously in
Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria, and less
Q'-_'_.-l.. !_ r-?-!-.j
cucl LJ *J all rulnuu-.
T1ic LnancId, statement showed that the
two services received more than S90
million through annual congressional
grant in 1980, and incurred a loss of just
over $5 million. It projected that by fiscal
year 1982, the annual budget will exceed
$100 million. -
Broadcasting Av 13 1981
141
"--TV DIGEST MARCH 16, 1981
.1~
More foreign broadcasts will be integral part of
Administration campaign to counter spread of Soviet
influence. Plans include additional broadcasts to
Central Asian regions of Soviet Union, bordering
Persian Gulf and Afghanistan. As indication of new
radio push, President Reagan said he would boost
grants to Radio Free Europe and Radio -Liberty from
$94.3 million recommended by previous
administration to $98.3 million, also will adopt for
Voice of America previous administration's proposed '-,'.7'$188 million budget, up from this year's $101.6 r; illion. _
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April 23, 1981
Your recent mention of the possibility of locating VOA short wave radio
stations in Alaska for the purpose of providing radio coverage of the
Eastern bloc nations of Europe is most interesting. As a matter of fact,
for personal reasons, I find the prospect not only exciting but also
well grounded in technical justification.
As you know, one of my hobbies is Amateur Radio and I have found that
reaching and communicating with the Communist nations of Europe is
very easily accomplished from my location here in Fairbanks. I have
many, many times talked with fellow amateurs in Poland, East Germany,
Russia, Czechoslovakia and Rumania. It almost seems easier to contact stations
in these countries than it is to contact stations in the contiguous states.
I feel that the location of short wave stations in Alaska would be
very advantageous from a propagational point of view as a result of
my experiences on the amateur bands, particularly 20 meters. As you know
one of the most used short wave broadcasting bands is 19 meters which,
no doubt, would exhibit very similar propagation effects.
While your idea may, on the surface, might seem somewhat farsighted
I can see a real benefit to the United States in its effort to inform
the enslaved people of Europe.through the natural advantage offered
by the location of transmitters in Alaska. I would hope that others
might realize the benefit of what you are proposing and I would-offer
whatever assistance I might be able to add to your efforts.
Best regards,
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