MONTHLY REPORT - PANAMA BUREAU - OCTOBER 1986

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87-01104R000100120003-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 22, 2012
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: November 5, 1986
• Content Type: MEMO

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r'1
FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICE
PANAMA BUREAU
DRAWER 927
APO MIAMI 34004
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, Foreign Broadcast Information Service
THROUGH : Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT : Monthly Report -- Panama Bureau -- October 1986
A. Efforts continued throughout October to obtain necessary approvals
from the Panamanian Government for the two frequency allocation requests
the bureau submitted last May. Although Ambassador Davis has met with
President Delvalle several times on these requests, there has been little
forward movement. The current sensitivity of U.S.- Panamanian relations
and a highly publicized local struggle over cable television rights, which
includes the overall question of satellite transmission, has further
complicated our efforts. Other avenues are currently being explored, and
if there is no progress on the diplomatic front by mid-November, we expect
the embassy to concur in our resubmitting one or both frequency requests
through the Joint Military Committee.
B. Meanwhile, preparations for Internet continue. On 22 and 23
October, we received television signals from Quantico in the first test of
our ability to receive Internet transmissions. The test, received on the
bureau's 13-meter signals analysis ROSET, consisted of two movies and a
test pattern. One of the movies, appropriately enough, was "Scanners."
The bureau also began to wind down an exhaustive cruising and sampling
effort to locate programs of possible Internet interest. Although we have
sampled two talk show-type programs on Mexican television that show
potential, our sampling efforts for programs of regular interest have not
been productive.
C. The 10 October earthquake in El Salvador that almost destroyed the
U.S. Embassy in San Salvador created concern here for the safety of our
contractors and their families and the remote line equipment located in
the USIS compound. Fortunately, everyone was safe, and our equipment
survived. Due to the unstable nature of the compound, however, all FBIS
equipment had to be removed. Although the remote line is still working,
we are now limited to monitoring one Salvadoran radio station on a radio
left in the compound in place of our remote equipment. Once the situation
in El Salvador stabilizes, we will need to reinstall our equipment at a
newly designated site.
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D. On 2 October, the bureau came under attack from the U.S. Army 193d
Brigade. An artillery exercise gone awry resulted in several smoke
grenades landing in the bureau's antenna field. One grenade landed within
100 yards of the bureau. The resulting brush fires were eventually
extinguished by the valiant Pedro Miguel Fire Department (one truck).
According to Army personnel we contacted, the offending units could not be
determined. A letter on the incident was sent to Major General James
Taylor, the commanding general of the 193d Brigade.
A. Editorial/Monitorial
1. On 27 October, the bureau initiated new desk procedures
designed to give editors greater control and knowledge of shift operations
and to let monitor supervisors devote more time to supervising and
developing younger monitors. The new desk configuration and procedures
free the monitor supervisors from some of the administrative and editoria
"housecleaning" chores and make the editors more responsible for
first-line quality control.
2. In early October, Panama and Key West Bureaus agreed to change
SOP on coverage of Castro speeches and major Cuban events. This change
was brought on by the lack of Havana International Service coverage of
these events and by the agreed upon need to concentrate operational
decisionmaking at one bureau as much as possible.
3. ROSET coverage again played a major role in bureau operations
during October. At MOD request, we devoted substantial resources to
coverage of television feeds from Reykjavik on the meeting between
President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev. Because we were looking
for feeds on both the Gorizont 14.OW and Intelsat 24.5W satellites, at
times monitors were forced to watch two television screens and prepare two
program summaries simultaneously. Numerous FYI's and VSL's were filed
during the summit on the bureau's observations of these Reykjavik feeds.
4. Television watches were also prompted by coverage of the UN
General Assembly, Soviet Foreign Minister Shevardnadze's visits to Mexico
and Cuba, and an AFP report on an attempt on the life of Peru's President
Alan Garcia.
5. On 6 October, Nicaraguan soldiers shot down a cargo plane, and
the Eugene Hasenfus saga began. Since then, the bureau has remained open
past normal COB several times to cover the various news conferences and
trial proceedings that have resulted.
B. Communications
The bureau's communications section has completed its training
program on Bach and Sidekick, and the result has been quite encouraging.
Although met with some initial skepticism, Bach has become an integral
II
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part of the communications section. Approximately 50 percent of the
bureau's file is now sent via Bach, and once a valid version of Bach 1.21
is received, that percentage is expected to increase. Acceptance among
the operators is quite high. One tangible benefit from the use of Bach
has been its contribution to the drastic reduction in the rejection rate
of bureau messages due to typos and format problems. Tests using Sidekick
have begun, and plans are under way to familiarize the editors with both
Bach and Sidekick. Systems administrator and
Communications Section Chief have been instrumental in
implementing bureau efforts in this area.
C. Lateral Services
On 6 October, the embassy political counselor asked if the bureau
had monitored a statement by Panamanian Foreign Minister Abadia
criticizing U.S. administration of the Panama Canal. After learning that
this statement was supposedly made during one of two parliamentary
sessions on 1 and 2 October, bureau monitors went through the
approximately 10 hours of recordings of these sessions. The specific
passages were found, translated, and given to the embassy for use in a
demarche the ambassador was preparing to make to the Panamanian
Government.
D. Technical
The following accountable property was transferred to
headquarters:
Seven demodulators, Frederick Model 1203, Serial Nos. FE-6827,
FE-3027, FE-3940, FE-7097, FE-6830, FE-11729, and FE-7009.
One Crown Recorder, Model SX712, Serial No. 12814, complete with
amplifier type SXM, Serial No. M-288.
Counter, Model TC, Serial No. 1555.
Three Extel Model AH-11RS (RO), Serial Nos. 105358, 105369,
105377.
The following accountable property was transferred with headquarters'
concurrence to the local army disposal office:
Two Suppressors, Interference, Pioneer, Radio Antenna Phasing,
Model QRL-2B, Serial Nos. 105 and 95.
Four cabinets of electrical equipment.
One file cabinet.
Two desks.
Six chairs.
One IBM typewriter, Model 6111, Serial No. 7044598.
One IBM typewriter, Model 7250, Serial No. 9352573.
One Crown recorder, Model SS702, Serial No. T-8146, complete with
amplifier, type SSMX M-292.
One Crown recorder model SX712, Serial No. 12813, complete with
amplifier.
Four antenna multicouplers TRG, Model SU.1-30-50, Serial Nos. 006,
002, 026, and 072.
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III. ADMINISTRATION
A. Personnel
1. At a small bureau ceremony on 10 October, the following
employees received promotions effective 12 October:
FBN 6/2 to 7/1
FBN 9/5 to 10/4
FBN 6/1 to 7/1
FBN 7 2 to 8/1
1 FBN 8/7 to 9/6
for superior performance.
Also, a cash award of $500.00 was presented to Chief Monitor
2. Monitor Supervisor) (was married to
n 11 October in a private ceremony in Tallahassee, Florida.
will be leaving us in December to set up residence in Florida.
3. After receiving almost 150 applications and testing some 60
people, we selected candidates for the bureau's two vacant Spanish monitor
positions. They are formerly
worked as a monitor here from 1972 to 1977. Both candidates
are now being processed for employment.
B. Building and Grounds
1. The Army's Department of Engineering and Housing connected the
new 50-ton chiller unit and was finishing up work at month's end. With
the installation of a metal sheet to cover the insulation of the pipes,
installation will finally be complete.
2. A new motor was installed on the bureau's front security
gate. As a result, the gate now takes only 19 seconds to open, a 1-minute
reduction.
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
3. Contractor (completed the installation of new STAT
high-pressure sodium lights throughout the bureau compound.
4. Contractor Cedeno Choy & Associates completed the relocation
of 72 feet of fence in the ROSET compound.
IV. VISITS
To the bureau:
1. Lt. Colonel Russell Roller, C/Plans Division, J6, SOUTHCOM; and J6
Programs Manager Bill Matson on 1 October.
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2. Brigadier General John Wakelin, Deputy Director for Unified
Specified Command, JCS-C3S; Mr. Robert E. Leary (SES-2), Deputy Director,
Command Center Systems, DCA; Lt. Colonel Howard Mills, REDCOM, SOUTHCOM,
CENTCOM, MAC Division, JCS-C3S; Major Paul Hamilton, Executive Officer to
General Wakelin, JCS-C3S; Colonel Joseph Jaworowski, Jr., Director, J6,
USSOUTHCOM; Lt. Colonel Russell Roller, C/Plans Division, J6, SOUTHCOM;
and Mr. Bill Matson (GS-13), Programs Manager, J6, SOUTHCOM on 8 October.
3. Kenneth Berry, Marian Dettman, and Paul Minch from Ft Detrick for
an orientation visit on 21 October.
STAT
STAT
Chief Editor) land senior editor
Control for orientation on 28 October.
Attachment
Production Report
Cbtl
e an ureau,
STAT
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Panama Bureau Production Report for OCTOBER 1986
TOTAL PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTHS 402240
TOTAL NON-PUBLISHABLE. WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH. 26920
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH. 995
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
II. INPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE. 11775.00 90870.00 202.00
(minutes or issues per week) min. min. issues
III. OUTPUT FROM ALL SOURCES.
(publishable words per month)
ARGENTINA
Buenos Aires REUTER in
Spanish
Buenos Aires REUTER in
English
CHILE
Santiago Television Service in
Spanish
Santiago REUTER in
English
CLANDESTINES
Clandestine Radio Farabundo Marti in
Spanish to El Salvador
Clandestine Radio Venceremos in
Spanish to El Salvador
COLOMBIA
Bogota Cadena Radial Super in
Spanish 940
Bogota Domestic Service in
Spanish 0
Bogota Emisoras Caracol Network in
Spanish 2270
Bogota Television Service in
Spanish 6990
Bogota REUTER in
Spanish
Bogota REUTER in
English
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Bogota EL SIGLO in
Spanish
Bogota EL TIEMPO in
Spanish
COSTA RICA
San Jose Radio Reloj in
Spanish
San Jose LA NACION in
Spanish
San Jose LA PRENSA LIBRE in
Spanish
San Jose LA REPUBLICA in
Spanish
San Jose LIBERACION in
Spanish
San Jose LIBERTAD REVOLUCIONARIA in
Spanish
San Jose LIBERTAD in
Spanish
San Jose NICARAGUA HOY in
Spanish
San Jose RUMBO in
Spanish
CUBA
Havana International Service in
Quechua
Havana International Service in
Spanish
Havana EFE in
Spanish
Havana PRENSA LATINA in
English
Havana PRENSA LATINA in
Spanish
ECUADOR
Quito Radio Quito in
Spanish
Quito Voz d? low Andes in
Spanish
Quito REUTER in
Spanish
Quito REUTER in
English
EL SALVADOR
San Salvador Canal Doc* Television in
Spanish
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
1970
0
960
410
3200
6760
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BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
San Salvador
Spanish
San Salvador
Spanish
San Salvador
Spanish
San Salvador
Spanish
San Salvador
Spanish
San Salvador
Spanish
San Salvador
Spanish
San Salvador
Spanish
San Salvador
Spanish
San Salvador
Spanish
San Salvador
Spanish
FRANCE
Paris AFP in
English
Paris AFP in
Spanish
Domestic Service in
La Voz Panamericana
Radio Cadena Sonora
Radio Cadena YSKL in
Radio Cadena YSU in
Television Educativa
DIARIO LATINO in
EL DIARIO DE HOY in
EL MUNDO in
LA PRENSA GRAFICA in
GERMANY
Hamburg DPA in
Spanish
GUATEMALA
Guatemala City Cadena de Emisoras
Unidas in
Spanish
Guatemala City Domestic Service in
Spanish
Guatemala City Radio Nuevo Mundo
Network in
Spanish
Guatemala City Radio Television
Guatemala in
Spanish
Guatemala City EL GRAFICO in
Spanish
580
6510
1220
0
5780
920
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Guatemala City PRENSA LIBRE in
Spanish
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
HONDURAS
Tegucigalpa Cadena Audio Video in
Spanish 8400
Tegucigalpa Radio America in
Spanish 2050
Tegucigalpa Televisooa Hondurena in
Spanish 2450
Tegucigalpa Voz de Honduras Network in
Spanish 6110
San Pedro Sula LA PRENSA in
Spanish
San Pedro Sula TIEMPO in
Spanish
Tegucigalpa EL HERALDO in
Spanish
Tegucigalpa LA TRIBUNA in
Spanish
MEXICO
Mexico City Red Nacional 13 IMEVISION
Television in
Spanish
Mexico City XEW Television Network in
Spanish
Mexico City CERIGUA in
Spanish
Mexico City ENFOPRENSA in
Spanish
Mexico City REUTER in
English
Mexico City EL DIA in
Spanish
Mexico City EL NACIONAL in
Spanish
Mexico City EL UNIVERSAL in
Spanish
Mexico City EXCELSIOR in
Spanish
Mexico City THE NEWS in
English
Mexico City UNOMASUNO in
Spanish
NICARAGUA
Managua International Service in
Spanish
250
1630
1000
1410
730
1720
2020
3110
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Spanish
agua Ir).ternat ional,
English
aqua Radio NotiOi
Spanish BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
agua Radio Sandi CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
Spanish
aqua Sistems Sand
work in
Spanish 120
aqua ANN Diploma
vice in 58370
Spanish
agua ANN in 210
Spanish
agua PRENSA LAT 130
Spanish
aqua SALPRESS-r 3530
Spanish
agua BARRICADA iw
Spanish 2990
agua EL NUEVO D
Spanish
NA
Hama City Circuito
vision in
Spanish
Hama City Domestic;
Spanish
.ama City Radio
Spanish
Hama City Televis
Spanish
ama City Televi
Spanish
ama City ACAN in
Spanish
ama City CRITICR
Spanish
ama City DIAL
Spanish
ama City EL 519"
Spani}h
ama City EXTRA tA-
Spanish
0
8610
1200
1380
0
480
5060
1760
3270
500
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BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
Panama City LA ESTRELLA DE PANAMA in
Spanish
Panama City LA PRENSA in
Spanish
Panama City LA REPUBLICA DOMINICAL in
Spanish
Panama City LA REPUBLICA in
Spanish
Panama City MATUTINO in
Spanish
Panama City QUIUBO GRAFICO in
Spanish
Panama City STAR AND HERALD in
English
Panama City THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC in
English
PERU
Lima Panamericana
Network in
Spanish
Television
Spanish
REUTER in
English
REUTER in
Spanish
4190
5860
590
1480
3570
SPAIN
Madrid EFE in
Spanish
Madrid PRENSA LATINA in
Spanish
USA
New York United Nations Television in
Spanish
New York United Nations Television in
English
USSR
Moscow TABS in
Spanish
VENEZUELA
Caracas Television Service in
Spanish
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Caracas REUTER in
English
Caracas EL NACIONAL in
Spanish
Caracas EL UNIVERSAL in
Spanish
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
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PANAMA BUREAU PRODUCTION REPORT FOR OCTOBER 1986 -- ANNEX
TOTALS FROM ROSET SOURCES:
ARGENTINA
Buenos Aires REUTER in
Spanish
COLOMBIA
Bogota Television Service in
Spanish
CUBA
Havana PRENSA LATINA in
Spanish
Havana EFE in
Spanish
MEXICO
Mexico City XEW Television Network in
Spanish
Mexico City Red Nacional 13 IMEVISION Television in
Spanish
Mexico City ENFOPRENSA in
Spanish
NICARAGUA
Managua ANN in
Spanish
Managua PRENSA LATINA in
Spanish
SPAIN
Madrid EFE in
Spanish
Madrid PRENSA LATINA in
Spanish
USA
New York United Nations Television in
English
New York United Nations Television in
Spanish
VENEZUELA
Caracas Television Service in
Spanish
6,990
5,900
6,000
11,350
260
8,290
1,200
1,350
1,610
4,860
7,300
56,030
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