WORKING GROUP - COMMITTEE ON BROADCASTING AND TELEVISION (COBAT)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-01634R000300030022-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 11, 2000
• Sequence Number: 22
• Publication Date: April 4, 1956
• Content Type: MIN

Approved For Re2000/08/27 : C1A-RD
OPERATIONS COORDINATING BOARD
?5X1 C10b
April 4, 1956
MEMORANDUM OF MEETING: Working Group - committee on Broadcasting and
Television (COB4x)
11th Meeting held 2 p.m. April 3, 1956, OCB Conference Room
WORKING GROUP MEMBERS PRtSENT:
USIA - Robert E. Button, Chairman
ICA - Robert Bruskin
State - T. H. E. Nesbitt (TPIB)'
OCB Leslie Brady
Ralph Busick
Marjorie Denny
1. The minutes of the March 19th mr"'etiig were approved.
2. In accordance with the Board As ietants' suggestions made on March
30th when they noted COBAT's Report and 'Recommendations concerning Television
in Europe, certain revisions were agreed'to in the paper.
3. The Committee agreed to give pr ority to Libya's urgent need for a
broadcasting station to counteract Egypt an radio and meet needs. of education,
This would be an ICA project. The TPIB i as requested to suggest the technical
details for the establishment of a Libxi.government broadcasting facility
for in1eria. 'd5e-c USIA will develoD audience re v ch data for the project
First drafts will be
4. It was agreed the problem of strengthening and working with Eurovisju^
would be deferred until after the EBU meeting to be held in May. USIA is
sending a VOA representative to this meeting. The TPIB Chairman advised that
this representative should be thoroughly briefed on the technical side and
should be supplied with background on the individuals involved in the frequency
field..
5. The Chairman reported as of interest to the Committee, a meeting held
with the Chairman of the Board of NBC to discuss proposals made by him for the
U.S, to take the lead in developing TV abroad, as a cultural and educational
mass medium, with particular emphasis on Pakistan, Turkey, Iran, and Iraq.
Further discussions with the State Department and the Management of ICA to
work out plans for these countries friendly to the U.S. were suggested.
6. The 104 representative reported on television developments in the
field, specifically the situations in Indonesia, Iraq, and Egypt. In
connection with field projects, he informed the Committee of the difficulty
in finding technically trained officers for audio-visual positions abroad.
The Defense representative volupteered to supply candidates for such ICA
(and USIA) jobs overseas. The Secretariat of GOBAT will correlate the
information for general use,
Approved For Release 2000/08/27 : CIA-RDP78-01634R0009 Y0 30022-2
USIA declassification & release instructions on file
 'Approved For Re#ea'2000/08/27 : CIA-RDP78-01600300030022-2
7. The Chairman of TPIB inquired whether, in view of the Board
Assistants recent request that COBAT prep are special reports on individual
problems when deemed necessary, the Comttee would be interested in a
paper concerning areas of the world not now covered by U.S. broadcasters
and the need for full utilization of j,$, facilities in accordance with
previous NSC action. It was decided th~t COBAT would meet with TPIB on
Thursday, April 12,,at 10 A.M. to consider this problem.
Ralph R. B .s~ck
Staff Representative
SECRET
Approved For Release 2000/08/27 : CIA-R0P78-01634R000300030022-2