SECRET IS OUT 'CIA' TV SERIES PROPOSED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00901R000500080019-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 14, 2000
• Sequence Number: 19
• Publication Date: July 30, 1980
• Content Type: NSPR

STATINTL STATINTL
, Approved For Release 2001/03/07 : CIA-RDP91-009
' ' ---- LOS NGELE'S TEES
FA-C;-' 30 Tu Ly 1980
" -
!..,--:-tr?A ? -, . -?,-,:r.'s,?.'t.4.?,-,;):1Z:1-1:-_i;.;,;"f",fit,.:'"Y";: '.....,-27::;1_:,..,
HOWARD RoSENBEFCG,.1'?:.:.;1-4;-:--;.. -:r.,,,4,:,;;,,.--',:i.:-. ?:.t.;;:'.4;.,..:.,:',.-:
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CRET ,c.TA,), 7. 1......0,40"...1.,,, .. I - I ?
I `.T :.....,30t ..,,:...:17.? -. - . " * ' - ' ''.' "'"..-?,? . ?
s.FD-j?,..,:,,:.,i:.-,
':%-ii-;-....----1.'?6'?'4.-%!..-iFir,a
--;.-- -- ..-...:-. - ...4 . :'11'4' 44"----rai".'7-? '.' ' .. . ' ::.? - - ' .7!" s..-1,?:' 'f',T A .
stry ready, for.the P.V.,, :.;',: '''... 7 ' -'' ''plot. only. that, "The,CIA';:yotild
',-;;:--.The:.:: CLA.,7coridenmecl;p:y.,;-...be made With the technical and in,
....,,, . ._ . ..
'--, . , :lmari"1-37. :-..'andr` accused" Or helping:i7,17terpretive assistanee.:orthe':Assozi,,;6%,..,, ... t . .....-- ...,--.- -___
iii4Wanll meddling in. the affairs,. of----Ti-ciii.(AFIO), whose 2,80.0 members . . -It would be revolutionary, indeed ; ,
........ .
?
ciatiorrof Former Intelligence Offi-.. ?will recognize the stories he said
..
.2.fell; foreign governments-lik:oak6i,-
;sucht.nations-as-Chile-and::Iran4is--1 hide's. e-1 4
-inc ., Dm . ,,, 09 ,ex-CIA person- for -a.::- government-regulated ? TV'
i
the-subject of a proposed pilot. for.a.-....27. 11.0-"I''.....=' ",".."??:',,, :.:?.?-.:," `-:?:"-',.: y ' . , ? " . , : . : network to deal in a weekly.seri es, [
V. '.'ficifonaliZed7. dramatic aeries:: on :-..: : ,.:Co-executive 4.Producer?..,Larry........'..if at all, with the CIA's alleged roles i
0=1,97,. - - ? . Alum: ,,,..1-.i.r..-1:A.T.:Thornpson insists he's not on some 2. , in the overthrow of " the . Allende 1
- --:' r--1-'-'44x,r4 ' - ' ? - ? - -"7..Crtisade.tro.FleansetheCIA"7-- "..-- -ri"g"Ove-rnrnent'..' in ....Chile, and ;early
r1 The, opera tive : word for: t'The-,7"
, ... .. ...i,:;F.,.:2.`i ..bur In't.'essilt,',',Aia.-T'hOm-p-S'O'n',Is. .i. _backing . of.: - the: Shay., of ' Iran.
el..Ai'-'ii'-t'proposecl.."..,,-7.The.: script _.?, -1.0-Nyever,--, Thompson. -,won't ....talk
: hasn't everrheen v./Atter-1. .r_:. 7' . .?. , ,-.-,-not-...to'-whitewash -. anything We
!it s. want toiedpcate_the:American peo-n : - -about specifics.
. : .
script-development dea1.7.......-...,
?.;,:-:s"ald.! Scott:. It/C---':Sie-gl'er;;- Cg?',., vice ..;,-., pie to.what_the CIA does; then let -:---ormei CIA director William
: --$ - ? t-,
,,.
president,, dramatic programdeVel]...-f'..;-., them up own minds."
. . . _.. _ ... . .., , r. .., .. . . , - ..1 Colbyonce. to Thompson
- . Id
opirierit...?,`That .means..it!s,.one of al However Siegler ; seemed - less that that "the problem: with; the,
2.,.6"ntispibela scripts being dorisidereas-..?:;:pOsitiVe about the Proposed shows , T..:CIA was that it is so-secretive that;
:.. fora pilot and a detision-iSprobably,'.PoliticS.7.,`.,' yhitewash?, We haven !t.: the. public didn't.know .what it did, I
.. ._ , .
nine months away:."1---"n-..:--77?..:-,:,,.-,:f.,,-.?,,even-projected it that far.". Siegler ,,..?: and .when they did get information,'
fl:loWe'Vei,Siegler!"-added,..!,'Onpall:---7:aid.' tbec-_:!..time is right for a-series -T ..',' it was in a Vacuum?'
.0:- ::,?-.
.; p'er;. at least, its stronger, than most 7;14 ,like l',.Ttle CfA.:7,-..,r....,,,....;:...;;,? ? :..;,...., i.?;;,:..;',:i,,,:', Would '.'The CIA" -S-hoW the un-.
--". and it could be a breakthrough Americas moving to the..right:.'....:..'glamorouS,Unheroic seamier side of,
. :..;5-v,rentieth:Century-FOx7TV apd-r.-Ainerica,:will--beconie , More anti-, spying that hasn't been seen weekly!
Thompson,_ Penny Wagner Pr.o,.. *icir.ii:;:fr.i.ore.-:,t..9.te,r4pc Ofjt.1:).:p.? I.J..'.';'.2.oll Ty since CBS carried.the-British
:- :ducticns-which 1was formed for ? ,..:::protecting its interests abroad, no..., series .''I Spy some 15 years ago?.'...:
7-?
the occasion-are collaborating -orr.- 3:T..1:natter who is president," he said. -- :. - :ifThere are goodgUys-in the CIAll
. ? . - .. . ? . _ I.
- 'The- du '! The scriptivill be writ4;.",:,.)`-',,ja.The AFIO would have no creative '..and . there., are . bacl.,,g9.y!, _ ..
" said
ien ,b- -Y. Af.a.;M-ei."- as" g offiier:Eilw-ar,T,:co7n." tiost?. b_ut__wouid--Hcritique - for -7 ThOmpson. They .may get lo .a
: . ... .. .._ .,
7:El'iltliff,..i;/-110 won-AcadaVAviardS-7.4;i-iraiithenticity7: and suggest themes point where. they i have to make a;
,.1 - -1.4 ? , . - ...... . . . .
%;.for. 'his fyiriting . or !teCket7.. )and for stories from. t..irde to tiine;'shotild ---.: -:decision : about-what-justifies.- the
,..::.'Panic in.the..Stre-ets.;".. ri--1--',74...i-.!The CIA" be pickediiP fOi; a 1 -ge-ri'e-i,-,--Meaiis....Some rniStakes will be inadel
, - 6 . , . . .
;z8.9 far, .4.,:!. good. But anyone faiiii. "aid..-AFIG president Jack Blake by : and we will show the _missions- that '
.1iil.r:::'With7 how, -"Ile- F.Br.";g1Orified44hone. for 'MCL6ii,i.V4:' Ile.. erfiects-.. - aren't successful But each week if
s?!,thelliii-eai for. ?Iglit. seasori.oh ABC The ,'.. The- CIA , to.,:showr-the-Tagency s :you like the, characters, you'll gri....
' ?Cari'fie'eidiiSed for?-i.ril'ckeriifiabout.:1.'.;:warts,!_!.latit...this.is.not,to -ay..,:yeiti're : derstand they are
'.
". . something-?:, ,'k, .--, - -4 *-' called ? .'- he :. CIA.-, -
!... ,:17?.17:7.2., g0cnn . g'? : to :-. hav. .:+e1.-,. anything? ,??l-?i.?k '--e?' ..-, (t..
he ( -T-- - '
' '''' ''. ' I Grir," rs.ta4A4-- :. -,-- ,-,;.-.:.-47,",..:,,I.. i --...,:,-;-;',.!-'?'", '''.41 ' :.... )
Approved For Relea-li.001/03/07 : CIA-RDF'91.-00901R0005000800f9-8
,
Approved For Release 2001/03/07 : -00901R00
.A.RT I CLE APPEA.1.3.1_:'D
WA LNG TON POST
ON-PAGE I . 27 July 1980
?
:- ?
??? .??? ?-thr-2!;'}."
- ,
tro e
-14 ?"i? P.
By Orionis .`A:24:0-MtA?3',.4`
CRIANA FALLACI: ME:Berlinguer,--this is' in-
XL'? 'teiided tobean interviewpnthe Italian mmu-
.'niSt-Party:(the biggest 'Corrirritinist'Party, in the West)
the international crisis. That. AS,J.Vis-a-vis a
,..reality-which',threatens-to-fall,:int6,:a-thirchVorld',War.
S6;? the subjects will be many and:the:firSt. one will
inevitably be our -rapport with.the"..SoViet _Un inn. I
:begin it with a brutal question: Don't ypti.ever break
Avith the. Soviets?' Each time it seems that. a tremen-
dous earthquake is going to eritpt,OGod knows what
,-sChiSia;?and insteadOvheri the tempe.sis.Lover,;the:Sun
VgNitip 0 BEALINGUER:J--wOtildn't,call it sun,
'.and-i-Lybrouldn't:?'SaY:that i shi?e. ?JUst:think of the
positions taken in these last six Months by the Party. I
mean our condemnation of the Soviet, invasion Of Af-
ghanistan;. our refusal ' to- take 'part' in the European
,
Cornmtinist:PartY-Meeting organized . by 'the French
? -aiid PolishJCPs;'_'.ottntrip ? to _China to reestablish -our
.r.elationshipiwlth the Chinese. However; it's true that
we,have.notbroken.With. the, Soviets, that we do not
break: YOU aWiae'silii.'Bee-ause.hiaii:the policy we
follow with all: to affirm our autonomy, to idy'vrithout
hesitation' what time. tci.
rnaintain thethread'ofthrapPOrtthat iS,-an open
dialogue. Didn't we- de- it- with the Chinese- also? -Yet
our.points;of view .enlah.,1...aiffereOfrora:.those:Of the
.1.,c10a*4; :;-?-i;
, .-
774FAZ:iiittik;Zit7c1IfiragiMTV;;'
`-raPpor t'.'..betweert,-.;th ICP;." and -th er
ican; An irnPOrtan't stlbjeclieaatiSp`Ilthinki
that.--theArneriCanS.'dOn't understari'cl much.
of. vhat. happens in Italy. -Just t.hink-t-h:tL
:ofteri,:tlie man in dciesn't
see th-
difference heteen.the - ICI' id the Red
Brigades. ? ;
A: This isp!t'pOs'ible! Anyone finows thai:
4.0 Years the jcpIlakbpen-pi:I?tbe"front,litle.,,
Of:the struggle .againit Red-Brigades,?;
the terrorism, in defenSe of the democratic;
`-gades h aVe,b e Urile ting, Italian CO'tnniii-
nist
Paity, inern rs!',Wha t el r!in he
4-:i
d
re?y
dcinie erti theY:fegclt t'
,new-spaper?,,Maylie'?!theii6*?Papeii!
:1011 0w very niucli CtfiventS51Aa1
matter of factil noticed that arievent a's int=
portant-as-our trip t.n China was iicit:.eini5ha'-'
..skeltat allApperovedif,progeifigos;
Z' ?
- .
?0:j dOO,I.,know.,Eiutjet's concentrate on
the rapPort,Whiah?Via'S "tiitallY,c16sedrduiing
the '-Nixoq?-aqininistra.tion .when Kissing,er
,-sIi'd:'"Ncic-6-bfritilunist'Party has even been
, . , , .
organized democratically; no 'tommunist oi?-
ganization has eVer differed 'with the Soviet,
Union ' -on foreign,. -policy,-L'no'?-?-comninnist
party ,has ever shared power with other par-
ties ? .
A:. Let'ine start by saying that we,. Italian
Communists on!t,1 ive. in:anxiety At--4.eceiv:-
ing recognition from the off the
United States or of the 'Soviet Union or of
any other country. We-may understand the
'American preoccupations fof;the-.Atlantic
Alliance:: In _fact, those American 'preoccu-
pations, ar-e, our preoccupations We
may, be interested in: knowing their judg-
ments of us because such judgments are re-
lated With the gOOdyapport that Italy must,
have With America, and v.,e care about that
good rapport. But we do not live in the anx-
iety I mentioned, and I.refuse Mr. Kissing-
-er'i'verdicts,- his belief that the participa-
tion of niveStern Communist party in the
government would necessarily mean a paint
in favor of the Soviet Union. The Americans
Who think -like Mr. Kissinger have an old
and distorted idea of the Italian Communist
Party; not only on the theme of our rapport
with the Soviets-b4 also on concept of
:idcialisri:The5i-ao not:. understand, or they
'doilt: v? to tinderstand,,that,We 1644a
the Atlantic 'Alliance and that our goal is
? .:. - ?
not -.to.' Power -alone
'PartY.;It is to participate in a government
oalition-- together with other democratic
'forces and of the left,- according to the rules
Of democracy and otir Con stitution...,.
' ?-?
7,,;:otli Yet, yciViusi? tld ne youre Uommu-
- .? - -
niStS;Not liberals, notsocial deMOCiats, not
-laboriteS:COrniiitinists'who remain CommtAI
nists.: And ?sayine ".When a:cOnuntiniSt?
'party went to power, it remained in Power"
is a sacred truth.:',-.,;
ip.A: It also.happened that We were-chased-
-from-
power, by force, It happened in Spain
-where we :participated :in a, government
Coalition,' it happened in Hungary in 1919.,
clAnYhoW, there is something metaphysical
I:these doubts. Beciittse they 'all deparC.frain
,.the'nattire or the: communist party and;
9/1409171
001/03/07 : CIA Citratlittl?94
-is no invartauielVeven-for'the'
? r,
. ?Turr?rrtt-,..
STAT I NTL
iniciApmmigg For Release 2001/03/07 : CIA-RDP91-009
(1) /ON PAGE 7:Le'? NATION
19-26 JULY 1980
?
? -
_VNI)ERWRITlNQYITIE: RIGHT'
? - '
?
'...
HN SFRIEDMAN'
mose_Pop.Ular.public.televislop
picigrarpS .Was Free to iChoose?Writteii by ;and
,starring-..:sOntroVersial'.1eConomist"-
? ?
theritt rinochet9pv.e_ iTp7:10.tir.,1,.q!!!e::-.pe;?s:tiTyi:exami.ne Si
tlmot -every exCept 'Orel
MiltOn:triedrrian'S.serjes debut
public TV: As far as the average viewer of Free to Choose:
could ?tell from the credits, the money was provided mainly
by foundations rather than corporations; once again; it
seemed public television had- provided an independent
forum for controversial programs. -:.- ? . -
But did it? If a program on the energy crisis were funded
by the Mobil Oil Corporation or the Ekxon Corporation,
the conflict of interest would be obvious, but the ethical
problems raised by foundation sponsorship of public televi-
sion are less clear-cut. The general public regards founda-
tions, for. the most part, as charitable Organizations firm--
. tioning on behalf of some ill-defined public interest, and the
foundation world has worked hard to foster this image.. -
? But it is precisely this benign public view of foundations:
..that has made them increasingly attractive. "neutral" spon-
-sors for controversial public television shows. Corporations_
and institutions whose images are tarnished now seek such
."neutral' t intermediaries to convey their'views.
The Smith Richardson Foundadon of Greensboro; :North
. ?
:Caroliria,sis one such ideologic ml middleman.. This non-
,
profit foundation, which provided seed money (a small but
? crucial sum) for Free to Choose as well as for other pro-.'
1'grams.of:imilar conservative hue, has had close ties to the.
.f:Central-Intelligence-Ageney'and the Defense Department
l'for many years..: Its funding of programs dealing with for-
policy.or,-dornestic .spending raises' serious 'ques-
'tions about what should . constitute. a-.conflict of interest..
Of equal importance is ,the :-viewers' ,right to know. the
ideological leanings of the -underwriters of such programs
so that tney can- oetter assess their objectivity.
Raising money fox' public programs is as uncertain as pan-
ning for. gold.. Advertising isn't permitted on the system,
which is partially funded by the Government. Producers of
controversial programs have a particularly difficult task
because underwriters are reluctant to support them..'
One reliable and lucrative source of funds, however, has-
. been the Smith Richardson Foundation. With assets of ap-
_
proxtmatelr-S60 t f
Approved-i-o-r-KereagtPtV01/b0/01rise0FAs DP91-00901R000500080019-8
given abou
noncom mer
Choose (the
$105,000 fo
amined topi
policy; $50,
ing station,
American f
Gift, a serie
because KE
funds. In ne.
most difficu
for preprodt
In additio
of $47,500
public static
grew out of
of the Real
new r
supported ir
being prepa
brochure wh
tions ought-
letter reveals
yolve.d in all the complexities of the pAt, we thought it bet.
ter .to look ahead and examine what role the C.I.A. might
play when confronted with a crisis in the future."
Drafts of. the story and te]eplays are being reviewed b)
!'consultants," according to the promotion brochure, whc
include- William Colby? former director of the C.I.A.;
Samuel Halpern, former C.I.A., executive assistant to tht
deputy director for plans; John Maury, former C.I.A..chiel
of Soviet operations; legislative . .counsel for Congressiona.
relations and' Assistant Secretary; of. Defense, :and Corc:
. .
Meyer, former. chief of the C.I.A covert action staff, chiei
of. the London station and assistant to the deputy director
'..Despite the fact that Srnith..RichardsOn' Foundatior
money .and other grants have not been enough to- produ-et-
the program as yet; the initial biases of the project and Of t-
key..underwriter indicate some of the. Problems raised '133
Smith RichardsOn as a donor of such money. for public TN
programs.. The more. one knows about the foundation tin
more disturbing these problems become.
s
In 1935,- the Smith. Richardson 'Foundation Was incor
.? ?
porated in North Carolina tinder the name of the Richard.
son Foundation. It was established by the late H. Smid
Richardson, the son of the .founder of the Vick Chernica
.Company. The company's name was Changed to Richard
son-Merrell Inc. in 1960 and the .foundation, which is in
STATI NTL
Approved For Release 2001/03/07 : CIA-RDP91-00901
BOSTON GLOBE
17 July 1980
Mi
'By Linda Melvern
Special to The Globe
e ?
- A secret American base operated
the National Security Agency is lis-
tening in on European telephone calls,
th'e British weekly news magazine
:'New Statesman" reported yesterday.
? The article, the result of a five-
? Month investigation, says the base
employs more than 800 American ci-
vilians and appears to be the biggest
telephone intercept, center in the
-West. The base is directly linked to
-the British telephone microwave relay
;netWork that carries international
-telephone calls in and out of the coun-
try, the magazine said.
;The British Ministry of Defense de-
!pled the base monitors transatlantic
-or-domestic calls in the United King-
. .
dom and said the base serves as a
"rapids relay communications_ center? _
for United StateS forces in Europe.
The base exists with the "full approv-
al of the British government." the
Ministry of Defense told the New
. Statesman. The London office of the,
National Security Agency (NSA),,,
which is a branch of the US Defense
Department, also said that the station
is a cornmunicatinns relay center for:
? the Defense Department. . ? .. .
???
Charges, of wiretapping are not
new in Britain;In February this year
the New Statesman revealed the head-
quarters of the British, national tele-
phone tapping center in Chelsea, a .
section of London.., This led to quese
dons in the House of Commons. The
home secretary, William Whitelaw..
, subsequently assured Britain that no "
Wiretaps were conducted unless he or ?
? a 'secretary a state signed an autho-
ri.zing warrant.
According to the New Statesman,
their investigation suggests that one
Of the minor roles of the base involves
,the interception of Irish traffic. "Some
gesture towards assistance with the
anti-IRA (Irish Republican Army) cam-
paign might make the existence of the
base more palatable to the host gov-
ernment," it states. "
A recent statement by a former US
Air Force colonel, who supervised
some NSA activity during the 1960s,
reinforces the point, says the news
magazine, that everything going
across the Atlantic could be read by
the NSA somewhere.
:`The NSA has the capacity to, and
at varying times does, monitor every-'
thing." Col. L. Fletcher Prouty, a re-
tired Air Force officer who served in
the Pentagon's Office of Special Oper-
ations in the .1'913-0s, said in an affida-
,yit prepared last year. ?
"For example, transatlantic com-
munications are. carried on cable or
by satellite. There are three satellites
.ebver the Atlantic, each capable of
,transmitting 20,000 circuits," Pronty
? Said. "There are eight transatlantic
Cables with about 5000 circuits. NSA
.'monitors all these -circuits, collects
nd records the electronic information
s.
transmitted and its computers can
-
epick out the messages it wants by
"key word'."
Menwith Hill, the Yorkshire NSA
station, has been in operation for
more than 15' years. Three past and'
present US intelligence officials cen-
firmed the role IA the base from first-
hand knowledge, says the New States-
man, which also_published details of a
computer delivered to the base lathe
ear y ds w ic is capable of sifting
?ihrough thousands of calls for those of
,...1nts12.Lgence interest
A relay tower at the heart of this -
? countrywide microwave system IS.itiSt.
five miles south of the NSA base. The
tower, known as Hunter's Scenes, is
virtually the pivotal link in more than
a million miles of microwave radio
connections which have been in-
stalled in Britain.
It is linked to the NSA base by a
high capacity undergraound cable .
which is capable, according to ex-
perts, of carrying over 32.000 car:5i si-
multaneously. '
The NSA base commander. Albert
D. Braeuninger, in an. interview with.
the New Statesman,. did not .deny the
, link to the ;Post Office network. He .
: said: 'We- pass information through
the U.N. communications system. Our
line is cable' It is purely a commu,-
nications link. We only use the Hunt-
er's Stones p6Wer as a customer of the
Post Office.",
1-.;.
A foriner' British military -officer
who visited Menwith Hill is quoted:as-
saying: "It intercepts telephone-ant
other _communications to ,and? from.
the United States and Europe.arict-fileSi
intelligence dossiers on European,:pc:H
litical and teades union. leaders.'
NSA surveillance of international
? telephone lines was admitted-offidially-
when CIA director William Cnlbyeap.-'
neared before the Pike committee- 0(1
-
intelligence in-I975. No details of howii-
' where or by Whom this is .doneehave.
ever been ciisc.1ose3.
The NSA is under dirent_contrnI:y
? the United States Department of De-
fense and its' role is described .aS
protection" of US government eesent,i: L
nicatioris'abroad ane tne. collection;
decoding and analyzing of intelligenci
information. Distinct ?from the CIA..
the NSA does notlormuiate policy qr,1
carry out operations. - -
STATINTL
Approved For Release 2001/03/07 : CIA-RDP91-00901R000500080019-8