PRE-OLYMPIC BATTLE ABOUT RADIO FREE EUROPE AND RADIO LIBERTY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP72-00337R000500270055-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 8, 2006
• Sequence Number: 55
• Publication Date: February 22, 1971
• Content Type: OPEN

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translation
Sueddeutsche Zeitung (Munich daily SPD)
of February 22, 1971
PRE-OLYMPIC BATTLE ABOUT RADIO FREE EUROPE AND RADIO LIBERTY
THE EASTERN BLOC CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE STATIONS IN MUNICILI'-
LEARNED FROM EXPERIENCE, VALIDATED BY SUCCESS
by Peter Pr agal
(Introduction: In order to deliver the official invitation to the 1972
~lOlympic Garnes-iii Munich a-delegation with the-president of. the
National Olympic Committee, Willi Daume, NOC Secretary
_____General Herbert Kunze and Lord Mayor Hans-Jochen Vogel. flew
to Moscow over the weekend. The German representatives
will probably also be presented in Moscow with the question
of what they think of the activity of the American stations Radio
Free Europe and Radio Liberty in Munich. Before their
departure, Daume said on this topic that he was aiming for a
"cease-fire" as this idea belonged to the "fundamental principles
of-the Olympic Games. "
The Budapest CP organ Nepszabadsa spoke of an "inheritance from
the the cold tivarrrt~, the Mosco~~r Pravda used ,;picture of a "brake ors she path co
further relaxation of tensions", the Prague Rude Pravo referred to a "threat
to the Olympic Games", and the Warsaw paper Zycie Warszawy diagnosed
an "outrageous contradiction" to the expressed goals of Bonn's Ostpolitik.
East German papers didn't even mince words so much. They were outraged
about "inciting stations", "airwave pirates", and "factories of lies. "
The coordinated action of the Eastern mass media which has reached a
new peak in recent weeks is directed at the two U. S. stations stationed in Munich,
Radio Free Europe (RFE) and Radio Liberty, which have taken on the task of
breaking through the news monopoly of the totalitarian Eastern Bloc states and
of opening to the population in the area of Soviet rule "a window on the Westt".
That the two "thorns in the side of the normalized information system " (Neue
Zurcher Zeitung achi eve these goals daily seems to the attacked radio stations
to be proved last but not least by the Communist protest. "If we weren't
-successful", says Robert B. Redlich, press spokesman for Radio Liberty,
"they wouldn't blast us so much. "
In fact, there is hardly a Western medium of communication which finds
such a great, echo among the population of the Eastern Bloc as the two radio
stations, financed by influential private Americans and the secret service CIA,
against whose total broadcasting capacity of about 4000 kilowatts (RFE: 2250 ICw;
Liberty: 1840 Kw) Communist jamming stations do not work effectively. Radio
Free Europe, which broadcasts to the five Warsaw Pact states, but not to East
Germany or the Soviet Union, has calculated a.listeners' statistic according to
which 65 percent of the adult population of the CSSR is said to receive RFE
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In Poland, Rumania and Hungary, the "Voice of the Free World" is hardly
less well known. Even in Bulgaria, 40 percent of the adults allegedly tune their
radio sets occasionally or regularly to one of the 29 frequencies on which Free
Europe broadcasts. Radio Liberty, which directs itself exclusively to the peoples
of the USSR, estimates its influence to be similar. "The effect", the Welt Am Sonnta.g
judged about the two U. S, stations, "can only be compared with the legendary
reputation of the BBC during the Second World War.
The success, measurable among other things in the reactions of the Communist
governments, in indications from emigrants, and in the listeners' letters directed
to cover addresses, is also based on experiences similar to those which the English
--had_ with_the_Germansearlie-r. !'.Credibility", stresses Ernest Langendorf, an
American Muenchner by choice for 25 years, press spokesman of RFE and Editor-In-
Chief of the Osteurop;aeische Rundschau, "is our guiding principle". Not polemics,
but rather objective information (he says) has priority. And an employee of Radio
Liberty, which eases into the living rooms of the red citizens around the clock in
Russian and 17 other: languages of the Soviet peoples, sees the connection between
credibility and efficacy as follows: the best propaganda is no propaganda".
This realization, however, has not always prevailed. When Radio Free Europe,
-based on the occupation statutes, was established in 1950 on the English Garden in
M?inich, it acted as a part of that American organization which, under the name of
"Crusade For Freedom", had set for itself the goal "of calling a halt to the expansion
of world communism. " At that time, at the high point of the "Cold War", they didn't
treat the opponent exactly softly in the Munich studios. "The language", Langendorf
notes, "was harder then.
Criticism, not only from the East, which they have always been used to, could
therefore hardly not come. When the anti-con-irnunist broadcasters from the English
Garden had _to defend themselves during the peoples uprising in 19.56. in Hungary
against accusations that they had awakened the impression among their listeners that
military help could be expected from the West, which (it was said) extended the
useless.resistance, the federal government, which had just become sovereign, sent
for the tapes in question and started an investigation. Angrily, the then official FDP
paper Freies Wort demanded: "Such institutions. should be put out of operation
on German territory".
In spite of their militant past, the two radio organizations, which by no means
broadcast only_political, but also entertainment and sports programs, have succeeded,
with their various transmitting stations in Holzkirchen, Mannheim and Portugal (RFE)
as well as Spain, Formosa and Lamzpertheim (Liberty) in constantly raising their
reputations, and in becoming -a "second newspaper in a one-newspaper state"(Redlich).
The reason for this esteem, especially within the inner-communist opposition, which
cannot speak up publicly, is the precise information about events in the Soviet area
of rule which are not told the citizens by the native media. "They often think over
there", Langendorf from RFE says, "that we have an agent in every village". in
fact, said Langendorf, (PF E) doesn't even have a single secret correspondent.
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-Life rcif.iio wno vio c unGc American d7.recL oii, cio not get l,iicir
knowledge about current events in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union in any sort
of conspiratorial manner. Instead, experts among the Ca. 1200 RFE employees,
who -- aside from technical and supervisory personnel -- are almost completely
Eastern European emigrants, regularly analyze 800 to 900 newspapers, journals
and other periodicals, and read Western correspondents' reports thoroughly. As
a further source, there is direct communication with listeners, who keep succeeding
in sending letters through the Iron Curtain. Radio Liberty which, including its
Western external offices, employs about 1000 people, works in a similar manner.
The results of this research are not secret. "Any one who can indicate a half-way
believable interest", RFE says, "can inform himself from. our documentary center. "
The practice of systematically monitoring radio stations from the Eastern Bloc
---states has provedespecially profitable. --With- an-antenna installation- located - at
Schleissheim, the RFE monitoring service records broadcasts from about 35 stations
daily. Their colleagues at Radio Liberty, who are located in a new building in the
Arabella complex in Bogenhausen, regularly listen to the words of about o0 Soviet
stations.
How revealing the monitored programs often are was shown, for example, at
the outbreak of the recent unrest in Poland. Appeals and instructions ,of local Party
functionaries, which were directed at the population over weak local stations in
Danzig and Stettin, were taped at Radio Free Europe and broadcast back to all of
Poland. The result was that the Polish citizens outside of the closed-off Baltic Sea
cities learned about the strikes as well, and the Warsaw Party leadership, which
first wanted to say nothing about the events, had to give up its tactics. It is under-
standable that the two Munich stations "have strongly irritated" the leading
Communist organs "for years -- as the Neue Zuercher Zeitun~; put it.
The upcoming Olympic games and the Bonn foreign policy directed at a
relaxation of East-West tensions, have been taken up by the Communist states,
which for their part shamelessly carry or. a propagandistic war of the airwaves
against the West, in order perhaps after all to force, with massive political pressure,
the "emigrants' stations" to silence. Moscow and its satellites figure their chances
..are even greater as more and more people in the Federal Republic as well are
asking how it can be compatible with German sovereignty that foreign radio organ-
izations operate on German territory. Thus, the German Journalists Union, for
example, protested in Munich against the "propaganda hostile to understanding"
of the two organizations, and the Hamburg Magazine Stern suggested to the two
"U. S. inciting stations ": "Ami Go Home.
But a move out of Munich will not be forthcoming in the near future, although
leading Social Democrats regard the foreign airwave bridges to the East with mixed
feelings, and one or another would certainly be prepared, if he only co uld, to cut
off the electricity of the two stations. From a purely legal standpoint, this
wouldn't even be difficult, as the activity of these radio stations is based on private
legal contracts for broadcasting licenses with the German Federal Post, which are
renewed annually.
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But politi.ca reality hardly permits a cancellation. A serious attempt by
the Federal Government to silence RFE and Radio Liberty, for whom U. S.
President Nixon has expressed his "unlimited admiration", would certainly be
considered an affront in Washington. "In both organizations", Minister of the
Chancellory (EHMKE) noted to his superior, "there are influential people".
Indeed: while RFE counts the former military Governor Lucius D. Clay as the
Chairman of the Board, Radio Liberty calls the former U. S. President Harry S.
Truman, Honorary Chairman of the Board of Directors.
The certainty that both stations will be working'beyond 1972 on closing the
information gaps of the Communist subjects has led the authorities of the Olympic
Games, in unofficial talks, to urge the representatives of both organizations to a
"ceasefire". What the Olympic organizers mean by that has been interpreted in
various ways up until now. It appears, however, that the partners in the talks
have agreed, one - not to try to influence the programming, and the other - "not
-- to,try to bother or annoy anyone who visits here. "
With the latter promise, they obviously want to contribute to diffusing the
fears of the Communist governments that their sportsmen or tourists could be
approached annoyingly by employees of the two stations. The concern is not quite
unfounded, since a survey institute has interviewed in the last four years, on
contract from RFE, more than 20, 000 visitors and refugees from Eastern Europe.
Radio Liberty too asks emigrants about their experiences in their homelands. In
Munich, however, such things are to be avoided in the interest of the Olympic
peace. Liberty spokesman Redlich offered this assurance about future visitors
from the Eastern Bloc; "We will not contact them".
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Die Welt (Hamburg daily - Springer-Conservative)
of February 22, 1971
MOSCOW WANTS TO PREVAIL WITII ITS "OLYMPIC SPIRIT"
by Walter Guenzel
Munich Lord Mayor Vogel and the President of the National Olympic
Committee, Daume, have delivered to the Soviets an invitation to Munich
for the 1972 Olympic Games. At the moment it seems assured that the
Soviet sportsmen will take part in the 1972 Olympics. But Moscow is
still imposing conditions: the American stations in Munich should end
their activity.
The radio station "Peace and Freedom" refers to itself as "a voice
of the Soviet public". It would prove itself to be more trustworthy if its
managers would admit that it should be callr.d the voice of the agitation and
propaganda department of the Central Committee of the CPSU, Section for
Foreign Affairs. The German-language service of this station is broadcast
from the same territory upon which over twenty Soviet divisions have seen
to it for many years that the voice of the German public in B.ra.ndenburg,
Mecklenburg, Sachsen, Thueringen and Sachsen-Anlialt cannot be heard.
Peace and Freedom transmits all the more intensively the opinions
of the central Moscow party paper Pravda, the army newspaper Red Star,
and other organs of the Soviet esta.blishinent, in the German language - a
comparison of texts proves it. For several months the editors of Peace
and Freedom have been assigned to criticize the activity of American
stations in the Federal Republic and to demand from Bonn that it should
silence these radio stations. Whether it is a matter of the Voice of.
America, (or) recently Rias in Berlin or the station Radio Free Europe
and Liberty (tlhe last mentioned station works exclusively for listeners in
the Soviet Union) -- they don't, according to Peace and Freedom which
sets the tone, belong in the Federal Republic.
In one of its latest broadcasts on this topic, Peace and Freedom
called, in barely camouflaged form, for acts of terror against the two
American stations stationed in Munich. That is, Peace and Freedom said
that it was `not to be discounted" that (with regard to the 1972 Olympics in
Munich) the "progr. e s sive public: , . , e specially the youth of the Bavarian
capital .. , will take steps" against the American stations, and Peace and
Freedom at the same time names the locations of the radio stations in
question in Munich. The Bavarian state government probably understood the
nature of this impertinent "invitation to the dance", and has taken
appropriate measures.
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For some time, the Communist attacks against Radio Free Europe
and Radio Liberty have been tied to threats against the planners of the
Olympic Games in Munich. Peace and Freedom says on this topic: "The
inciting activity of the American propagandists in Munich is absolutely
incompatible with the spirit of the Olympics; it can endanger the holding
of the Olympics.
Aside from the fact That the political headquarters in Eastern Europe,
addicted as they are to medals, will think it over pretty carefully before
prohibiting their athletes from participating in the Munich games, it can be
said that Moscow does not stipulate what the "spirit" of the Olympic Games
is. If there is such a spirit, then it certainly isn't bottled in the Soviet
Union. If the Communists want to refunction the "Olympic spirit", then
their arguments will be heard and considered: there is not reason simply
to comply with them.
What is the purpose of the threats of boycott, and whom do they wish
to impress with them? Who gives the Communist agitprop departments
the right to exert pressure on the Federal Government and to demand
that it prohibit the activity of the unpopular stations so as to "save the
20th Games"? Those calling for this action must have an absurd and
insulting idea of the nature of a. democratic and legitimate Western
government. Do Peace and Freedom's backers think the Federal
Government can be blackmailed? It certainly cannot be. And if it (the
German government) says an appropriate word on this dubious affair,
and especially if it protests against the above-quoted call to the youth to
"take steps" against stations in Munich, then it will have the citizens of
this state on its side. The latter have not forgotten what has been preached
to them since the collapse in 1945: The East and the West were at the
time completely agreed that the Germans under Hitler had been doused
with propaganda but cut off from complete information. In unison, this
state'of affairs was exclaimed to be unbearable and incompatible with
democratic principles. Then, the same thing befell the East Europeans
which the Germans had had to experience under Hitler: Headquarters
doles out the flow of information and censors color it to fit the "general
line" which applies at the moment. Is it, one must ask, that the East has
suffered complete failure in its attempt to solve the problems of its
information policy? Wladyslav Bienkowski, an unsuspicious Communist
witness, former Polish Minister of Culture and friend of Gomulka, writes
on this topic:
"It can be said with confidence that the headquarters of
hostile foreign propaganda only exploit our mistakes and our
lack of ability to understand the problem of information.
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Western propaganda has an unbelievably easy task -- it
informs (our people) simply about what we do not inform
them about ... "
This is what it's all about. Thus, the Bonn government itself seems
to be faced with the question as to whether it wants to be partially responsible
(for the fact) that millions of Eastern Europeans are to be cut off from
information about the Western world and abandoned by the democrats. This
problem cannot be solved opportunistically. It must be approached, with
respect for the democratic rules of the game, in a more principled manner
than is usual with contemporary questions.
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Office Memorandum UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
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